[DAWN] Chinese internet users bombarded government social media accounts on Wednesday with thousands of anti-Islamic messages in response to unverified videos showing rioting involving Moslems.Online attacks on Chinese Moslem minorities have surged in recent years, with commenters directing angry screeds at both the Hui and the Uighur minority groups in the country’s north and far west.
The alleged row that triggered the latest flood of invective took place in the city of Tangshan in northern China’s Hebei province on Monday.
According to unconfirmed reports, a group of Hui protesters clashed with police who were carrying shields and wearing uniforms that suggested they were part of a SWAT team, according to online videos. In the clips filmed at night, the protesters appeared to punch their arms in the air, point their fingers and tell police to "kneel down".
It was unclear whether one of the protesters threw a rock at the police, as was alleged in a report by the state-run Global Times. The newspaper also quoted a Tangshan government employee as saying that "someone was beaten", without giving further details.
In response to the reports, Chinese internet users directed a flood of abuse at the official social media account of the city’s public security bureau, accusing them of putting the interests of Moslems over those of the majority Han ethnic group.
The commenters accused authorities of being overly lenient towards "violent" Moslem minorities and demanded swift punishment, in remarks that remained visible on Wednesday.