Protests Erupt In China Over Death Of Teenage Student Amid Accusations Of Cover-Up

 Violent protests have broken out in the northwestern Chinese province of Shaanxi following the death of a teenage boy, sparking public outrage and allegations of a cover-up by authorities.

Videos from the protests show dozens of demonstrators clashing with a wall of riot police outside the Pucheng Vocational Technical School. Protesters can be seen throwing batons and other objects at the officers, while one individual hurled a fire extinguisher at a door, shattering its glass. Police responded by aggressively detaining demonstrators, beating some and forcing others to the ground.

The protests were triggered by the death of a third-year student surnamed Dang, who attended the school. Local authorities in Pucheng have stated that Dang’s death on January 2 was accidental and not criminal. However, allegations of a cover-up have spread widely on social media, fueling public suspicion.

The timing of these protests comes at a sensitive moment for Chinese authorities, who have been on high alert for public dissent since the large-scale “White Paper” protests in late 2022 against stringent Covid-19 policies.

According to an official statement posted on the Pucheng county government’s website, Dang had a verbal and physical altercation with a first-year student, surnamed Guo, over noise disturbances in his dormitory. A school official reportedly intervened to resolve the dispute that evening. 

The statement further describes that at around 3 a.m., another student discovered a wooden stool placed beneath the dormitory’s balcony window. The sliding window was open, and the metal mesh screen had been removed. Dang had reportedly fallen to the ground below.

However, Human Rights in China, a US-based advocacy organization, has pointed to “suspicious circumstances” surrounding Dang’s death. Witness accounts reportedly include signs of a struggle in Dang’s dormitory and speculation that he may have been pushed from the building. 

Dang’s family has rejected the official explanation, alleging that photos from his cell phone were deleted, as reported by various outlets. Their skepticism has further fueled widespread debate on social media.

As of now, it remains unclear whether the protests, which began earlier in the week, are ongoing. Attempts to contact local public security bureaus for comment have not yielded responses.