Suspected social retaliation incidents are frequently occurring in China, with reports of random assaults in Beijing and Guangzhou on the 15th. However, authorities have consistently downplayed the incidents, with some media outlets even having related news removed from their platforms.
On May 15, China Newsweek reported online that a vehicle struck pedestrians at the entrance of a primary school in Beijing's Haidian District on Thursday, sparking public concern. The Beijing Haidian District Education Commission confirmed that a vehicle struck pedestrians near the primary school, and that officials had responded to the scene.
Many social media platforms have disclosed relevant videos, directly pointing out that this primary school is Qianjin Primary School, a key primary school in Haidian District, Beijing.
A social media account named "Teacher Li is not your teacher" quoted locals as saying, "A black Tesla maliciously rammed into a crowd at Qianjin Elementary School on Huayuan Road in Haidian District during the school day! It hit more than a dozen people!" A user in a chatroom recounted, "When I went there, there were four elderly people lying on the ground," and "It ran away after hitting them."
Chinese officials deliberately downplayed the incident, with NetEase delisting an article titled "Official Response to Car Accident Near Beijing Primary School: Driver Under Control." Other media outlets, citing a Beijing Traffic Police announcement, reported that around 3:00 PM on the 15th, a passenger car struck pedestrians on Jian'an West Road in Haidian District, injuring four people. The injured were sent to the hospital for treatment, and the driver has been apprehended. The accident is currently under further investigation. Officials have not clarified whether the incident was a random, malicious pedestrian collision.
Guangzhou South Railway Station knife attack incident
Coincidentally, a fruit knife attack occurred at Guangzhou South Railway Station on the same day. According to a release from the Guangzhou Railway Public Security Bureau, at approximately 2:00 PM on the 15th, a 35-year-old suspect, Li, attacked someone with a fruit knife in the northwest area of the first floor of Guangzhou South Station (outside the security checkpoint). Police responded promptly and apprehended the suspect. One person was injured, who was promptly transported to a hospital for treatment and is not in critical condition.
NetEase account "Shanshan Perspective" disclosed more details, pointing out that a man took out a fruit knife without warning outside the northwest security check area on the first floor of Guangzhou South Railway Station, and waved it at a passenger next to him, followed by a burst of screams.
Some people screamed for help, others frantically dialed 110. Parents with children clutched their children tightly in their arms and searched for a safe place to hide. The queues of people also dispersed, leaving suitcases tossed aside. The scene was a scene of chaos.
