BEIJING – A large crowd of angry Chinese bank depositors clashed with police on Sunday, some abused when they were taken away, in a case that has drawn attention due to previous attempts to use a COVID tracking app -19 to prevent them from mobilizing. .
Hundreds of people raised banners and chanted slogans on the wide steps of the entrance to a China Central Bank branch in Zhengzhou City in Henan Province, about 620 kilometers (380 miles) southwest. of Beijing. The video captured by a protester shows security teams dressed in civilian clothes being hit with water bottles and other objects as they charge against the crowd.
Subsequent videos posted on social media show an unclear number of protesters as security crews pushed forward individually and down stairs dressed in white or black T-shirts. Phone calls to police in Zhengzhou City and Henan Province rang unanswered.
Protesters are among thousands of customers who opened accounts at six rural banks in Henan and neighboring Anhui Province that offered higher interest rates. They later discovered that they could not withdraw their funds after the media reported that the head of the parent company of the banks was fleeing and wanted for financial crimes.
“We came today and wanted to get our savings back, because I have elderly people and children at home, and the inability to withdraw the savings has seriously affected my life,” said a woman from Shandong Province, who only gave his last name, Zhang. , for fear of retribution.
What had been a local scandal became a national incident last month due to misuse of the COVID-19 tracking app. Many of those who marched in Zhengzhou to demand action from regulators found that their health status in the application had turned red, preventing them from traveling. Some reported being questioned by police after checking into their hotel about why they had come to town. Later, five Zhengzhou officers were punished.
Protesters gathered before dawn on Sunday in front of the People’s Bank of China building in Zhengzhou. Police vehicles with flashing lights can be seen in videos made in the dark of the morning. Police closed the street and at eight in the morning had begun concentrating on the other side, Zhang said.
In addition to uniformed police officers, there were teams of men in plain T-shirts. A bank regulator and a local government official arrived, but their attempts to speak to the crowd were outraged. Zhang and another protester, a Beijing man named Yang, told the AP that protesters had heard from officials before and did not believe what they were saying. Yang refused to be identified by his full name, fearing pressure from authorities.
Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. Around 10 a.m., the men in T-shirts rushed the crowd and dispersed them. Zhang said he saw women dragged down the stairs at the bank entrance.
Zhang herself was beaten and said she asked the officer, “Why did you hit me?” According to her, he replied, “What’s wrong with hitting you?”
Yang said he was hit by two security guards, including one who had fallen down the stairs and mistakenly thought of the chaos Yang had hit or pushed.
“While repeated protests and demonstrations don’t necessarily have a big impact, I think it’s still helpful for more people to know us and understand us or sympathize with us,” Yang said. “Every time you do, you can make a difference. Even if they hit you, they really can’t do anything to you, right?”
Protesters were taken by bus to various places where Zhang said they were forced to sign a letter guaranteeing they would not meet again.
At the last minute on Sunday, Henan banking regulators posted a brief notice on their website saying authorities are speeding up verification of customer funds at four of the banks and formulating a plan to resolve the situation to protect their rights. and public interests.