Zhuhai, China – Fan Weiqiu, a 62-year-old Chinese man, has been sentenced to death for a horrific attack where he drove into a crowd, killing 35 people, in an act described as “revenge on society.” The incident took place last month in Zhuhai, and the sentencing came after Fan pleaded guilty to charges of endangering public safety through dangerous means.
The court condemned Fan’s actions, stating that the crime was characterized by an “extremely despicable” motive, was “extremely vile” in nature, and had “particularly cruel” means, resulting in “great social harm.” This case is part of a disturbing trend in China, where several such “revenge on society” attacks have occurred recently.
November alone saw three such incidents, highlighting a growing concern over public safety and societal stress. Another attack involved a man in Changde City who, after losing money on investments, rammed his car into a crowd outside an elementary school, injuring 30 people, including 18 children. He was given a suspended death sentence. In Yixing, a 21-year-old student, frustrated by academic failures, stabbed 17 individuals, killing eight.
Wu Qiang, a former political science professor, suggested that these violent acts might reflect deeper societal pressures and a pervasive sense of injustice among individuals in China. He noted, “On the surface, it seems like there are individual factors, but we see there’s a common link. This link is, in my personal opinion, every person has a feeling of injustice. They feel deeply that this society is very unfair and they can’t bear it anymore.”
In response to these incidents, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for preventive measures by local governments against such retaliatory attacks. However, this push for prevention might lead to further government intrusion into personal lives, alongside the existing practices of heavy censorship. The response to these attacks has included censoring videos and eyewitness accounts on social media, with only basic details being released to the public hours after the events. In Fan’s case, the full extent of the tragedy – 35 deaths and 43 injuries – was not disclosed until a day later, with reports also mentioning that Fan attempted self-harm with a knife at the scene.