Overview

• On August 4, more than a thousand residents gathered outside Jiangyou city hall to protest the handling of a viral video showing a 14-year-old girl being beaten by classmates
• Law enforcement officers wielded batons and electric prods late at night to break up the demonstration and detain participants
• Authorities sent two of the teenage suspects to a correctional education facility, criticized a third participant and ordered guardians to enforce stricter discipline
• Local officials penalized two individuals for fabricating details about the incident and issued warnings to deter the spread of rumors
• Weibo removed related hashtags and censored trending discussions as part of a wider effort to suppress public debate