Six jailed after disturbance in Nanning

Six people have been given prison sentences for the crimes of assault, criminal damage and public disturbance, after a traffic collision escalated into a major incident, in which 56 people were arrested and several vehicles destroyed.

A local court, ruling on the case on the case on Monday, handed down sentences of between six months and four-and-a-half years.

The incident took place in Nanning, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on the night of June 13, and started when a man surnamed Chen drove his unlicensed Toyota vehicle into the rear of a taxi. An argument ensued between Chen and the taxi driver, surnamed Mo, during which Mo was physically assaulted, according to police.

The incident seemed to have been resolved after police arrived and calmed the situation, with Chen accepting responsibility for the collision. However, Mo insisted that Chen compensate him for medical treatment he might require as a result of having been assaulted. When Chen rejected the demand, Mo marshaled other taxi drivers from the nearby area to support his cause.

When police attempted to remove Chen and his car from the scene, they were obstructed by onlookers, who cursed the police and tried to beat Chen and his girlfriend, according to police.

The mob overturned Chen's car and in the process found two military vehicle number plates. They then set fire to the car.

As the disturbance continued, several police officers and police assistants were injured and their vehicles damaged, and the situation was not brought under control until 4 am the following morning.

Police investigating the incident say that the military police number plates found in Chen's vehicle were fake.

According to the Xitang district court of Nanning, the six defendants in the case deliberately caused a disturbance, attacking both police vehicles and officers, as well as Chen and his girlfriend.