Protests in China against local authorities accused of 'corruption' suppressed by police

A group of customers angered by the banks that are in trouble protested on Sunday in the center of China against the local authorities, accusing them of corruption and deceiving them, in a rare incident of challenging the authority in the country.

Four different banks of the Henan province, having difficulties due to the economic cycle, froze the fund withdrawals halfway through April, which angered thousands of small savers, sparking spontaneous demonstrations.

On Sunday, hundreds of people protested in front of the China Central Bank office, in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, various people that were present confirmed to AFP on the condition of anonymity.

In the published photos on social media, different kinds of banners can be seen denouncing "the corruption and the violence of the Henan authorities."

Some of the videos, which could not be verified independently, show the police detaining violently some of the demonstrators, some of them wounded in the face.

Some suspect that the local authorities blocked the health pass of some of the demonstrators to be able to prevent their movement and that there are new gatherings.

Although protests in China, a country obsessed with social order, happen very rarely, there were several in recent times, despite the risk of being detained.