A 47-year-old man used an excavator to destroy the entrance and damage several parts of a government building in China’s Shaanxi province. At the origin of the gesture there would be a controversy over the compensation received after the demolition of his breeding farm. The man was stopped by the police. No injuries were reported.
The incident occurred on the morning of Monday 9 November in Fengdong New City, in the Xi’an metropolitan area. According to what was reconstructed by local media, the 47-year-old showed up in front of the administrative services center driving a tracked excavator and started hitting the external structures of the building.
The excavator against the government building: images of the destruction
The videos released on social networks show the mechanical vehicle tearing down the shelter of the main entrance, causing elements of the structure to fall to the ground. The excavator also damaged the access stairs and several portions of the facades.
According to testimonies collected by the Chinese press, the action continued for about an hour, causing damage in at least six points of the administrative complex.
Spot
The center staff activated evacuation procedures, removing employees and citizens present in the building. The police intervened on the scene and stopped the driver, identified by the authorities with the surname Hu.
The protest for compensation after the demolition of the farm
At the origin of the gesture there would be an economic dispute with the local authorities. According to what an official from the administrative committee of Fengdong New City told the Chinese newspaper Shenyang Evening Newsthe man was dissatisfied with the compensation provided for the demolition of his farm.
The reconstruction of the motive, however, has not yet been officially confirmed by the police, who are continuing their investigations. Not even the amount of the disputed compensation and the overall value of the damage caused were communicated.
In a statement released on the evening of November 9, Xixian New Area public security authorities confirmed that the 47-year-old perpetrator was stopped on the spot and subjected to coercive measures as part of the criminal proceedings.
No one was injured, despite the damage caused by the excavator. The administrative center resumed its activities already in the afternoon of the same day, while investigations continue to clarify all the circumstances of the incident.