Beijing business district locked down as thousands join protests to demand tutoring refund
BEIJING's business district plunged into chaos as thousands of seething parents and students took to the streets to demand refunds from tutoring company Yousheng Education.
Beijing: Protesters block street in business district of city
We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.
Beijing police clashed with the demonstrators, with at least one protester reported to have been "dragged away" while demanding a refund from the tutoring company. Footage from the protest shows thousands of people marching down the business district of China's capital while police officers form cordons in an attempt to contain them. Chants calling for the release of the arrested protester can also be heard.
TRENDING
Keegan Elmer, a reporter for SCMP News, shared several videos from the demonstrations showing protesters blocking traffic demanding their refunds.
Mr Elmer said: "This morning hundreds of people blocked a road in the central business district of Beijing, demanding their money back from education company You Win, which has been facing major financial troubles.
"The road remained blocked for around a half hour. People seen here yelling “放人” (“release him”) around the cop car where the man taken away in the last video was held.
Once cars were allowed to circulate again, he added: "Road was cleared, but tense stand-off between protestors and police still underway. Many police vehicles on the scene."
The reporter said the march appeared to have been made up of "affluent" parents demanding their cash back after dissatisfaction with expensive tutoring sessions for their children.
Mr Keegan added: "This protests appears to be organized by affluent parents who paid for expensive tutoring. Before their arrest, @wickedonnaa bloggers showed clear trends of rising middle/upper middle class protests over investment scams, education rights, and housing deals gone wrong
"This isn't the first time You Win encountered protests. Here's one report from June about a case in Harbin, where the company was embroiled in a dispute that left parents demanding their tuition back, and teachers with unpaid wages."
Reports from local newssite Fudaoquan suggested Yousheng Education had already faced complaints from parents in June after they had paying thousands of yen for tutoring in advance before courses had to be shut down because of coronavirus.
No comments: