Mass Killing in China, Government Censors Discussion

The Chinese government is allegedly censoring news regarding a car ramming incident in Zhuhai, southern China, which claimed the lives of 35 people and injured 43 others on November 12, 2024. The deliberate attack occurred outside a sports center, where crowds had gathered for exercise.

Local police confirmed that the driver, a 62-year-old man identified only by the surname “Fan,” deliberately plowed his vehicle into a crowd. The suspect has been detained, and authorities are investigating his motives.

According to eyewitness accounts, the vehicle accelerated towards pedestrians before hitting the crowded sports area. Videos of the aftermath briefly circulated online but were quickly removed from platforms like Weibo and WeChat. Residents also reported difficulty discussing the incident on social media, sparking allegations of censorship.

Floral tributes were laid outside the sports center by residents, many of whom expressed their grief privately due to fears of retaliation for discussing the incident online. Local reports indicate that authorities went as far as to swiftly remove flowers and wreaths placed at mourning sites.

The event marks one of the deadliest mass killings in China in recent years and raises questions about domestic security and control over public spaces. Experts argue that one of the reasons behind the information clampdown is to prevent widespread panic and copycat attacks, with President Xi Jinping cryptically calling on authorities to “strictly guard against the occurrence of extreme cases” in the wake of the attack.

It also highlights the lengths to which the CCP is willing to go to control the narrative regarding events in and outside the country. Last year, Xi vowed to strengthen the “Great Firewall of China” to further regulate and control internet access. China continues to be one of the worst countries for internet freedom, even amid a 14-year global decline.