A spate of horrific car-rammings shakes China

THE DETAILS provided by the police are horrific. Thirty-five people were killed and dozens injured when a man drove his vehicle into a crowd in the city of Zhuhai on November 11th. A suspect was arrested, though not before he tried to kill himself with a knife, causing wounds that left him in a coma. The man, 62, was reportedly angry with how assets had been divided in his divorce.

But there is another aspect of this tragedy that Chinese citizens find galling. Videos of the attack’s aftermath quickly spread online, piquing the public’s concern. Then the government stepped in, removing the content and suppressing reports for 24 hours. A BBC reporter at the scene was pushed around. This follows revisions to the law in June that tightened the government’s control of media coverage during emergencies.

Several times this year drivers have ploughed their cars into pedestrians or other vehicles. Those incidents, along with a spate of stabbings, are sometimes referred to as “revenge on society” attacks. The term reflects growing worries about social tensions, with people frustrated by a property crisis and sluggish economy. In response to the attack in Zhuhai, China’s ruler, Xi Jinping, called for “prevention and control of risks at the source”. Some take that to mean he wants local Communist Party cadres to keep a more watchful eye on citizens.

On November 13th the party did at last splash news of the attack in Zhuhai on the front page of the People’s Daily, its main mouthpiece. The message was clear: things are under control. But for some members of the public it was a reminder of how little they are allowed to know about such incidents. In recent days the authorities in Zhuhai have removed items left as tributes to the victims. It was already time to forget. ■