Hundreds of rural bank customers in central China’s Henan province were swarmed, beaten and dragged away by a group of unidentified men on Sunday as they protested local government corruption amid a months-long freeze of their deposits.
Since mid April, the depositors have been pressuring the Henan authorities to help recover savings from at least four small “village” banks that stopped withdrawals. The campaign attracted national attention last month after a planed demonstration in Henan’s capital Zhengzhou was thwarted by digital health codes that mysteriously turned red. After a nationwide outcry over misuse of the coronavirus-fighting system, the central government stepped in, punishing five local officials.
Over the weekend, the depositors tried again, this time with valid “green” codes. At daybreak on Sunday, according to videos of the incident shared on Chinese social media, hundreds of protesters unfurled banners alleging corruption on the steps of the local branch of the People’s Bank of China, including one in English that declared “No deposits. No human rights.”
“The Chinese dreams of 400,000 depositors in Henan have been shattered,” read another banner, referring to President Xi Jinping’s slogan promising a better life for those who work hard and remain loyal to the Chinese Communist Party. Many waved Chinese national flags.
They also accused the government of…
