BEIJING: Chinese citizens expressed support yesterday for a disabled man who set off an explosion at Beijing’s international airport, injuring himself in an apparent protest against police brutality.
Messages of support were posted online after reports said 34-year old Ji Zhongxing was driven to the act by a years-long battle for justice after being severely beaten by police.
Wheelchair-bound Ji warned passengers in the airport before detonating the small device late on Saturday in an apparent attempt to draw attention to his case without harming others, the Beijing News reported.
A policeman who rushed to the scene was the only other person injured in the explosion, the state-run China Radio International said. “He warned those passing by... what a good member of the public. Who in this country is willing to stand up and say they are more righteous than him?” Zhao Xiao, a professor at the Beijing Institute of Technology wrote on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo site.
“By warning others to move away, he is a good person... I hope authorities will be understanding, or they will set off a vicious cycle,” lawyer Yuan Yulai wrote. “He was not as crazed as the police who beat him in the first place,” another Sina Weibo user said.
Ji moved from the eastern province of Shandong to work as a motorcycle driver in the southern city of Dongguan, where he was severely beaten by police staff in 2005, causing him to become disabled, according to multiple reports which could not be independently verified.
He had “lost all hope with society”, following an unsuccessful battle for compensation, Hong Kong broadcaster Phoenix TV reported.
Ji was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital where he had his left hand amputated, the broadcaster said. Lawyers for Ji could not be reached yesterday.
AFP
