Chinese bank depositors protesting asset freeze attacked by security forces

July 11 (UPI) -- A crowd of hundreds of bank depositors seeking the return of their life savings was violently attacked by security forces in China's central Henan province, posted videos showed.

Despite restrictions on Internet access imposed in China, backers of the protesters managed to upload dozens of videos showing white-shirted security officials assaulting the depositors, who had gathered outside the People's Bank of China branch in Zhengzhou.

The videos, many of them posted by the Henan Rural Bank Rights Protection organization, showed the agents attacking the protestors and attempting to drag them away, while others depicted injuries allegedly sustained by the depositors during the clashes, the English-language Taiwan News website reported.

Protesters told CNN more than 1,000 angry depositors had gathered at the bank in the largest of a series of protests against an April decision to freeze millions of dollars worth of deposits at four rural banks in Henan province, marking what may be the biggest protest in the country since the imposition of strict COVID-19 protocols.

The deposits were frozen in the wake of an investigation by Henan authorities into allegations that the bank's online trading systems were illegally accessed and manipulated by a private business group.

Charges were filed against the Henan New Wealth Group and suspects were arrested in connection with the alleged scheme, the state-run tabloid Global Times reported.

But since then, depositors claim they have been unable to access their life savings and have not been able to talk to bank officials.

During Sunday's protest, demonstrators carried signs denouncing "corruption and violence of the Henan government," alleging government officials are allied with criminal gangs, and others claiming, "400,000 depositors in Henan have seen their Chinese dream shattered."