Handling of bullying case sparks tension, arrests in southwestern Chinese city

The handling of a school bullying case by local authorities in a southwestern Chinese city has sparked outrage among locals, according to residents and mainland media, leading to police arrests for “blocking traffic”.

Chinese outlet iFeng.com posted a video on its social media account showing hundreds of people gathering inside a government building in Jiangyou, Sichuan province, on Monday to help the parents of a teenager who had been bullied at school negotiate with officials and express their dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the incident.

The Public Security Bureau of Mianyang city, which administers Jiangyou, told the Guangzhou-based Yangcheng Evening News it had detained people who were “blocking traffic and refusing to heed police warnings” on Monday.

A staff member at the Mianyang Public Security Bureau told the South China Morning Post that the “incidents in Jiangyou” were being handled by “local police and government”.

The Post has also contacted the Jiangyou police for comment.

The residents’ anger erupted after news went viral about a campus bullying case which locals believed was not dealt with fairly.