Chinese police announced the arrest of a “criminal gang” accused of being behind dubious practices at local banks, after a protest by aggrieved customers was violently dispersed on Sunday in the center of the country.
Four banks in Henan province froze cash withdrawals in mid-April, which sparked customer demonstrations. On Sunday, several hundred people protested outside a branch of the Central Bank of China in Zhengzhu, the provincial capital of Henan, according to several participants who requested anonymity.
Read also: Police investigate terrorist threat at Chinese consulate in São Paulo
In photos posted on social media, posters denouncing “the corruption and violence of Henan’s authorities” can be seen. Local authorities made no mention of the demonstrations, but police in Xuchang, a city in Henan, announced on Sunday the arrest of a criminal gang.
According to police, the gang had controlled several local banks since 2011 and made “illegal” transfers disguised as fictitious loans. The statement did not specify how many people were arrested.
Read also: Hacker claims to have stolen data from billions of Chinese people
One protester who took part in Sunday’s protest told AFP that they were “assaulted” by unidentified individuals. Other footage shows protesters resisting an attack by plain-clothed people throwing plastic bottles. Protests are relatively uncommon in China, a country where maintaining social stability is an obsession and where the government usually nips any protest in the bud.
However, several demonstrations have been recorded recently, despite the risk of arrest.
