Teenager's death sparks violent protests in China amid allegations of a cover-up

Videos circulating on social media capture demonstrators throwing objects at the police, who in turn were seen beating people at the scene.

The unrest began after the death of 17-year-old Dang Changxin, a student at Pucheng Vocational Technical School.

Authorities reported that Dang fell to his death on January 2 in a dormitory accident.

However, allegations of a cover-up quickly gained traction on social media, fueling protests that reportedly persisted for several days before being subdued earlier this week, according to the BBC.

Although public protests are not uncommon in China, authorities have been particularly sensitive to demonstrations since the "White Paper" protests of 2022, which openly criticised the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and President Xi Jinping over stringent Covid-19 policies.

Citing a statement from investigators, CNN reported that Dang had engaged in a verbal and physical altercation with a first-year student named Guo earlier that night over "disturbing his rest."

A school official reportedly resolved the argument, but at around 3:00 am, Dang was found outside the dormitory, having fallen to the ground.

"The sliding window was open, and the metal mesh screen had been removed. Dang had already fallen from the window to the ground below," the investigators’ statement said, as quoted by CNN.

However, Human Rights in China, a US-based activist organisation, has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding Dang’s death.

The group cited witness accounts indicating "signs of a struggle" in the dormitory and suggested Dang may have been "pushed from the roof."

The activist group also accused authorities of denying Dang’s family the opportunity to properly examine his body.

"After repeated demands, Dang's mother was allowed to see her son at the funeral home. Her brief viewing revealed a bruise on his neck, but teachers forcibly stopped her from inspecting the body further or taking photos. This was her only opportunity to see her son's body," the group stated on X.

Dang's family has rejected the official explanation of his death, alleging that photos on his mobile phone had been deleted, according to Reuters.