Vendor Regulators Spark Fiery Incident

Vendor Regulators Spark Fiery Incident
Chongching City incident. (mtxsnow.net)
9/9/2007
Updated:
9/9/2007

In China’s large cities, conflicts between small vendors and City Comprehensive Administrations (CCA) are a common scene where onlookers are even beaten.

On September 4, CCA guards in Chongqing City, Sichuan Province triggered a clash between the CCA and more than 2,000 locals when they attacked a BBQ stall vendor and onlookers. A CCA vehicle was burned and traffic was snarled.

Local residents revealed that at about 7:00 p.m. on September 4, some barbecue stalls in Chongqing City were destroyed by local CCA security guards, which caused a conflict. The guards used a pepper spray directed at the eyes of a vendor. However, after the incident was reported to police, they came only to remove the vendors, and beat passersby who voiced their disapproval. The incident deteriorated and the scene became more and more violent. The conflict between police and local residents was deadlocked. More than 2,000 people gathered, causing a traffic jam.

Chongching incident onlookers. (mtxsnow.net)
Chongching incident onlookers. (mtxsnow.net)
Chongching public unrest. (mtxsnow.net)
Chongching public unrest. (mtxsnow.net)

At about 11:00p.m. the CCA guards attempted to escape by driving through the crowd, so the situation became more chaotic. Then, angry locals overturned the vehicle and set it ablaze. Some residents reported hearing an explosion, and saw flames and smoke. The incident site was in turmoil. Afterwards, authorities sent a large number of anti-riot police to the location. The scene was not completely cleared until 7:00 a.m. the next morning.

After the incident, witnesses uploaded information including photos, and videos of the incident on the Internet; but it was all soon removed by Chongqing authorities.

According to statistics from the Chinese Communist regime, group incidents in China increased from 10,000 to 60,000 between 1993 and 2006. There have been more than 80,000 incidents reported so far in 2007. There are daily clashes with authorities in China where more than 200 people are involved. In rural areas, most conflicts that end in violence stem from unjust land requisitioning and law enforcement of birth control. In cities, conflicts are caused by forced evictions and relocation, law enforcement with violence, and the bias of the judiciary. Most complaints are related to corruption and heavy handed law enforcement by local government officials and judges.