The alleged killing of a fruit seller by chengguan (“city management” officials) in the southern city of Anshun has triggered protests and violent clashes with riot police. From the BBC:
The authorities said they would carry out an autopsy on the fruit seller to determine how he died ….
The state-run China Daily quoted a statement from Anshun’s local government confirming the hawker had died.
The statement did not comment on the cause of his death, but said “before the incident occurred, chengguan [urban management officers] were working in the area”.
Local police had earlier told the Xinhua news agency that the trader had been involved in an argument with the officials.
The Financial Times identified the dead man as 52-year-old Deng Qiguo, a familiar local figure and a single father. Ministry of Tofu has collected photographs and videos of the clashes, showing an overturned chengguan van and—be warned—Deng’s body.
