Overview

• On August 4, more than 1,000 people clashed with special police units in Jiangyou, hurling bottles and chanting for the restoration of democracy.
• Security forces responded with force, beating protesters, dragging them across asphalt, and transporting detainees on caged truck beds.
• The demonstrations were sparked by outrage at authorities’ slow response and mild punishments for three classmates who tortured a 14-year-old schoolgirl on July 22.
• Overseas activists preserved and disseminated video and text footage from the incident on platforms like X, YouTube, and Instagram before Chinese censors could remove it.
• By the morning of August 5, police had cordoned off Jiangyou’s city center under heavy security, effectively containing further street protests.