Six people have been sentenced for their roles in the riots in Xintang, Guangdong last month. The riots started after an altercation between a pregnant migrant street vendor and a security officer (chengguan). From Reuters:
The court in Zengcheng, the factory town where the riot took place, handed down the jail terms on Monday, the official Xinhua news agency said. Charges included destroying vehicles and attacking police officers.
Li Zhonghuang was given the longest sentence, three and a half years, after he “led a group who threw stones and set vehicles on fire,” the report cited a court statement as saying.
Another defendant, Zhao Jiufu, got a two-year term.
“Zhao threw stones at police who were attempting to maintain order during the unrest. When a police officer tried to grab him, Zhao bit him on the stomach,” Xinhua said.
“The defendants all confessed their crimes and pleaded guilty during the trial,” it added.
Xinhua said last week that the government had fired two officials and charged 11 people with various crimes after the riot.
