Video: Why Chinese authorities don't want you to see this cute toddler defend his grandma
Even cute viral videos can help spread dissent.
The video itself is the sort of thing that you see every day on the internet: A cute toddler who picks up a steel pipe and yells angrily at government officers top stop them from harassing his grandma. Simple, cute and immediately viral. Except that same video also prompted instructions from Chinese authorities for it to be removed from all websites.
Why would the Chinese government be worried about a little child yelling, "Don't touch my grandma! Go away!"? Because of who the child is yelling at.
The toddler is defending his grandmother from a group of Chengguan, which is an urban management force that enforces rules on city sanitation, landscaping, parking and the like. According to China Digital Times, which seeks to bring out uncensored news about the country, the Chengguan local law enforcement officers "have long been the target of public scorn for their tendency to use excessive force."
They have frequently been accused of brutality, including a case of a street vendor allegedly being beaten to death with his own measuring weight, which led to the sentencing of four Chengguan officers. Street vendors in particular have frequently been the target of Chengguan violence, and it's no surprise that the grandma from the toddler video also happens to be one.
"Child Grasps Steel Pipe to Resist Chengguan” video, pictures, and news reports must all be removed from main news sections. News that unfavorably portrays the law enforcement community must be released with caution," says the censorship instructions that were sent out, according to China Digital Times.
Evidently Chinese authorities, keenly aware of the power of viral videos, don't even want a cute toddler one to help spread discontentment about the excessive force used by local authorities.