--- title: "China Attacks Protestors Trying to Get Money Out of Frozen Bank Accounts" description: "Protestors gathered at a major bank in China on Sunday, looking to reclaim government-frozen personal funds — only to face brutality by security forces." date: "2022-07-12" modified: "2022-07-12" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-attacks-people-frozen-bank" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "china" - "protest" - "protestors" - "the digest" --- # China Attacks Protestors Trying to Get Money Out of Frozen Bank Accounts ![Protestors gathered at a major bank in China on Sunday, looking to reclaim government-frozen personal funds — only to face brutality by security forces.]() *\Image: The Associated Press\* ## Civil Unrest In a rare mass demonstration, roughly 1,000 protestors gathered at the People's Bank of China's Zhengzhou branch on Sunday, looking to reclaim government-frozen personal funds — only to face brutality at the hands of violent security forces, and leave without their money. According [to *The New York Times*](), the Chinese government halted withdrawals from four regional banks in China's Henan province in order to investigate an extensive case of fraud connected to a criminal organization. But this was back in April, and folks who trusted the banks have been struggling without access to their savings. "We didn’t want to have conflicts with anyone," bank customer Feng Tianyu, a young mother pregnant with her second child, told the *NYT*. "But the government sent so many people to deal with the unarmed people. We were cheated financially, beaten physically and traumatized mentally." ## Violent Clashes The [*NYT* previously reported]() that in recent weeks, some anguished bank-goers were intercepted en route by police, who allegedly misused COVID-tracing tech to track and apprehend prospective demonstrators — perhaps hoping to nip the protests in the bud. But the situation is clearly desperate. China is notoriously [unfriendly to civil unrest](), and its ruling party may even be developing terrifyingly dystopian AI tech that [detects government loyalty](). Protests are few and far between. Feng told the *NYT* that she was pulled by her hair and arms onto a bus, where some protestors faced further beatings. When she was finally taken to a hospital for stomach pain, the facility refused to treat her. "I'm pregnant and have come this far because this money is really important to me," she continued. "If I don't get the money back, I can't have prenatal checks, I can't have this child, and I can't continue to support my 2-year-old daughter." According [to the *BBC*](), the Henan government's financial arm has since issued a statement outlining a vague repayment plan, but the statement was quickly shredded on Weibo, the nation's most popular social network, by wary commenters. "The statement gives no clear clue \[of how they are planning to release our savings\]," wrote one Weibo user. "They just don't want to return our money." **READ MORE**: [*Security Forces in China Attack Protesters Seeking Frozen Funds*]() \[*The New York Times*\] **More on China:** *[Police in China Stalk Citizens with Surveillance That Predicts Future Crime]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()