A car attack that killed 35 people in China has raised questions about a recent spate of public violence as authorities continue to censor discussion of the incident.
On social media, many people are discussing the social phenomenon of “revenge on society,” where individuals attack strangers based on personal grievances.
Police said the driver who plowed into a crowd at a stadium in the southern city of Zhuhai on Monday night acted because he was dissatisfied with a divorce settlement.
The incident is believed to be the deadliest known act of violence in China in recent decades, but it is also believed to be the deadliest act of violence known in China in recent decades, but it also includes a stabbing at a supermarket in Shanghai and a knife attack at a school in Beijing. The attack follows a series of attacks in recent months.
Amid nationwide protests over the Zhuhai incident, President Xi Jinping has vowed “severe punishment” for the perpetrators. Police said the 62-year-old driver was in a coma due to self-inflicted injuries.
On Chinese social media platforms, many expressed shock at his actions and asked whether this was a symptom of a deeper social problem.
One of the comments that went viral on Weibo was, “How can you take revenge on society when your family life is not good? You have taken the lives of many innocent people and I wish you peace of mind.” Will I be able to get it?”
“With widespread lack of job security and great pressure to survive, society should be full of problems, hostility, and fear,” the user said on WeChat.
“We should examine the deep-seated social (factors) that fueled indiscriminate (attacks) on so many vulnerable people,” another wrote in a widely shared post.
A number of violent incidents have been reported in China this year, including a mass stabbing and firearms attack that left at least 21 people dead in Shandong province in February.
In October, five people were injured in a knife attack at a prestigious school in Beijing, and in September, a man went on a stabbing spree at a Shanghai supermarket that left three people dead and several others injured.
Many posts, comments and articles about the Zhuhai incident have been censored in recent days as authorities restrict discussion of what they consider to be politically sensitive topics. In China, censors typically quickly delete social media posts related to high-profile criminal cases.
Nevertheless, several emotional accounts continue to circulate widely online that raise questions about the incident. The BBC has not been able to independently verify these accounts.
One person said a family friend was killed in the attack while he was on an evening training session with his walking group.
“My mother is finding it difficult to come to terms with the death of her close friend. The more I see her grieving, the more outraged I become at the cold-bloodedness of the murderer,” the person wrote.
He also criticized Chinese media for giving “little coverage” to the incident, while increasing coverage of the high-profile military air show being held in Zhuhai at the same time.
“In the eyes of those in power, airplanes are more important than human lives.”
Several Chinese media outlets told BBC Chinese that they had received clear instructions not to report on the incident in the first hours after it occurred.
Since then, news outlets have published reports on the attack, mainly focusing on statements from police and Xi Jinping.
However, state broadcaster CCTV did not mention the attack in its Wednesday midday top bulletin, instead focusing on Xi’s upcoming visit to South America and an air show in Zhuhai.
There was also no mention on the main pages of Chinese daily newspapers about the worst act of public violence in years.
Another post that was widely circulated online was written by a person who said his mother was seriously injured in the attack and is currently being treated in a hospital’s intensive care unit.
The source said it was unclear whether the mother would survive and the father, who witnessed the attack, was devastated. “His heart is broken, but he continues to do his best to remain calm and responsive to all calls and concerns about his mother.”
They also criticized the lack of information in the hours after the incident.
“Up to 10 hours after the incident, there were no casualty statistics and no announcement from the police,” they said.
Other users said it took authorities 24 hours to announce the full death toll of 35 people. Social media platform Weibo also censored hashtags that mentioned the death toll.
Additional reporting by Fan Wang.
