Jiangsu authority denies forced demolition after violent video goes viral
Officials deny conspiring with developer to bully villagers
Officials in the coastal Jiangsu province have denied conspiring with a developer to intimidate villagers into agreeing to forced demolitions after a video clip showing alleged brutal treatment of residents went viral.
The video allegedly shows the gang brutally roughing up locals and forcing a school owner to sign a consent letter for the demolition of a local private school.
The clip was made by the school’s owner according to the video’s description. In the video he says that Zhang ordered over 200 thugs to illegally detain his school staff and demolish the school on August 10.
“We are fighting [the local government] with blood everyday. Any righteous man please save us,” a subtitle of the video clip reads.
The video clip, particularly a scene where several men are seen throwing an elderly man into a small pond and then forcing a young man’s head under the water, has sparked widespread outrage online. Many internet users have called for a thorough investigation into the claims made in the video.