At around 7:30pm on June 17, 2009, a death occurred at the Yonglong Hotel in Shishou city, Hubei province. The 23-year-old male cook Tu Yuangao fell from the third floor and died instantaneously. _jLL_GD
According to eyewitnesses, the police came and pronounced the death to be a suicide. However, Tu's relatives believed the death to be suspicious in nature, because there were blood clots in his nostrils and ears whereas there was no sign of blood at the spot where the body came to rest. _jLL_GD
Two years ago, there was a similar death at this hotel when a female worker also died in the identical manner. At the time, the hotel paid 30,000 RMB in compensation. It is also alleged that in 1999, a woman was raped and then thrown downstairs. It is alleged that a Shishou city government leader has a stake in this hotel, where business has always been bad but drug dealing on the side allowed the hotel to continue to operate. Drug addicts in Shishou city are willing to testify that drugs were being sold at the hotel. _jLL_GD
After the death occurred, the hotel boss avoided meeting with the family of Tu Yuangao. On June 18, the family was told that they would receive 30,000 RMB if they accept the death as suicide. If they refuse, then the body will be forcibly taken at 8pm that evening to the funeral parlor for cremation. _jLL_GD
After the incident, the police urged the family of Tu Yuangao to cremate the body. Someone also ordered the funeral parlor to refuse to rent a refrigerated coffin to the family. The daytime temperature is over 30 degrees Centigrade in Shishou right now. The family is holding the body inside the hotel and they insist on having their doubts answered before cremation. The father Tu Yuangao has procured a can of liquid gas and swears that he will blow himself up along with anyone who attempts to remove the body. Sympathizers gathered in front of the hotel as the story spread around. _jLL_GD
At around 1am on June 19, 2009, police cars showed up with a funeral parlor car to take the body away. 2,000 people blocked their way in front of the hotel. _jLL_GD
At 8am on June 19, Tu Yuangao had died more than 36 hours ago. The angry crowd refused to disperse. Several hundred of them had voluntarily stayed overnight to guard the body. Sympathizers erected banners and began a signature collection campaign. The police showed again to try to remove the body by force. They clashed with the masses present, injuring more than a dozen sympathizers and spectators. The injured civilians were not sent to hospital for treatment. Instead they were shipped directly to the police detention center. _jLL_GD
This caused the antagonism between the people and the police to rise. More and more people rushed to the scene. With their numerical superiority, the people held the upper hand as they beat back the police again and again. Tu Tuangao's body was secured. _jLL_GD
At around 1pm, several thousand people used bricks and beer bottles to stop the police from taking the body of Tu Yuangao. The funeral parlor car was vandalized. Several dozen uniformed and plainclothes police officers were chased from the scene (at Yonglong Hotel) for more than 500 meters until they found shelter at the bus shelter. The major streets around the bus station were blocked by the masses. Buses had to be re-routed but it was claimed that most of the passengers did not complain. _jLL_GD
At 3pm on June 19, the local police organized the largest effort to seize the body but failed again. By this time, the crowd had reached the highest total of about 40,000 persons. The Shishou city government had to ask for the armed police to assist. _jLL_GD
On the evening of June 19, a battalion of armed police was dispatched from Jingzhou and other places. The local people used rocks and beer bottles to fight the armed police. Many public security vehicles and armed police vehicles were vandalized. The armed police withdrew because too many people were out there. _jLL_GD
During the night of June 19, it was rumored that the government would try to seize the body at 5am on June 20. 10,000 Shishou city resident stayed in the streets. They blocked the front of the Yonglong Hotel as well as all the major roads in the city. _jLL_GD
At around 2am, June 20, more than 500 police officers and armed police officers got into formation and proceeded towards the hotel to seize the body. When they reached the vaccine station nearby, citizens attacked them with bricks and rocks. The police officers and armed police officers withdrew. The crowd chased them for about 1 kilometer. Police vehicles were toppled. The crowd did not lose their vigilance just because the armed police withdrew, as many people continued to stay in front of the hotel. During the early morning clashes of June 19 and 20, several dozen citizens were injured or arrested. Many police officers and armed police officers were also injured. _jLL_GD
In order to prevent the news from spreading, the Internet cafes in Shishou stopped service on the night of June 20. Electricity was also cut off in the area of Yonglong Hotel for a while. The street lamps were turned off. According to information, the family of Tu Yuangao and other citizens called up the media in Beijing and Wuhan. But the reporters rushing over there were turned away by local government officials. _jLL_GD
At 6am on June 21, the body of Tu Yuangao was still laying in the Yonglong Hotel. More than 1,000 people were present in front of the hotel. As daylight came, more citizens came out. At around 7am, people as the scene used SMS to say that a large contingent of armed police officers was heading towards the hotel in at least eight armored anti-riot vehicles and six water-cannon firetrucks. Another clash seemed unavoidable.
