A video posted to the Chinese Internet showing a man crossing a street carrying a child and being beaten by an angry driver and passenger got over 5,000 comments and has netizens in uproar.
The video, posted by the state-run China Central Television (CCTV) to social media shows the man crossing the street when he is nearly hit by a black sedan breaking a red light. The car stops in the middle of the intersection, then two men step out and walk over to the pedestrian before kicking and roughing him up.
The man, his hands full with the child and an umbrella, fliched and turned to face the attackers, but did not resist. He continued to cross as the men walked back to their car.
According to CCTV, the men were arrested and will be held for 13 days of administrative detention.
Angry netizens defended the pedestrian; some suggested that the attackers got a lighter sentence than they should have due to connections.
“Are Chinese laws intended only for us commoners?” one comment reads. “Why can the rich and powerful just spend a few days in detention?”
Others pointed to the fact that the driver confidently stopped the car in the intersection as proof that they probably came from money or influence and did not feel the need to respect regulations.
