In China, two days after a car-ramming attack which left 35 dead in the south of the country in Zhuhai, the mourning of the population is strictly supervised by the authorities. And the debate on the real reasons for this tragedy is censored. Places of homage are dismantled by the authorities.
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Overnight, bouquets of flowers and candles brought by Zhuhai residents disappeared from the entrance to the sports complex – transferred to what venue officials call a “ mourning room ». Sexcept that no one has access to pay tribute to the victims of the worst attack in recent years. A 62-year-old man drove his SUV into people who were playing sports outside a sports center on Monday, November 11. The driver, who reportedly had a bad experience with his divorce, was arrested on Monday when he stabbed himself, particularly in the neck, according to the police. Hospitalized and in a coma, he “ is not fit to undergo interrogation “, she clarified.
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The issue of mental health
The police patrol the scene of the tragedy and prevent the press from taking photos. On social networks, anything that resembles a debate on the reasons for this mass killing is censored. “ If there is a dire lack of jobs and enormous pressure to survive, it is no wonder society is overwhelmed with problems, hostility and terror. », Wrote an Internet user cited by the BBC. Another widely shared publication calls for a thorough investigation into “ social factors that led to these indiscriminate attacks “.
Recent similar attacks
Such killings are rare in the country. “ There China one of the safest nations in the world », Underlined on Wednesday November 13 Lin Jian, a spokesperson for Chinese diplomacy, interviewed during a regular press briefing. However, the country has experienced some deadly attacks in recent months. Already in October 2024, a man killed three people and injured around fifteen others in a knife attack in Shanghai. A month earlier, a 10-year-old Japanese schoolboy was stabbed to death in the megalopolis of Shenzhen.
This car-ramming attack came as the city of Zhuhai is hosting an air show this week at which a Chinese stealth fighter plane will be unveiled for the first time.
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At the 2008 Zhuhai Air Show, a man driving a truck drove into a crowd, killing four people and injuring 20. The assailant took action after an altercation on the road.