Man Beaten to Death by Chinese City Management

An old man in China’s Jiangxi Province was beaten to death by City Management officials who intended to demolish an unapproved building on March 30, 2009. The victim’s family carried the dead body and marched along the highway in protest, and attracted about 10,000 bystanders. Local authorities dispatched hundreds of policemen to maintain order.

According to the local newspaper Jiangxi Workers, the Pingxiang City Management attempted to forcefully demolish a house under construction that belongs to the victim’s sister, and physically attacked his sister when she tried to protect the house. The 59-year-old victim, Chen, then hurried to his sister’s home to appeal for his sister, and demanded the City Management officials to take his sister to hospital for a checkup.

The City Management replied by throwing Chen into a trench and violently beating him. When the ambulance arrived later, Chen was already dead.

When Chen’s family members and friends arrived, they angrily turned over five City Management vehicles, and marched along the highway with the dead body. About 10,000 bystanders blocked the highway.

A highway management worker told The Epoch Times that hundreds of policemen showed up, and forced the family out of the highway. The police and the victim’s family negotiated first in the highway management office, then in a hotel. Around 4 a.m. the next morning, the body was finally transported to a funeral house.

A staff member from the local management office said the office has been investigating the incident.

China’s City Management force has long been controversial due to their habitual violence and more and more frequent bloodshed. In recent years, violent law enforcement has caused many massive protests and confrontations.

Read the original article in Chinese