Overview

• Thousands gathered outside Jiangyou City Hall to protest lenient penalties for teenage bullies after a video of the assault went viral.
• Police forcibly dispersed the midnight demonstration with batons and electric prods.
• The hashtag #Jiangyou surged on Weibo before censors blocked related posts and locked down online discussion.
• Local authorities punished two individuals for fabricating details of the assault and warned citizens against spreading unverified claims.
• The case has reignited national debate over juvenile justice reforms and the prevalence of school bullying in China’s education system.