China was rocked by violent protests in Shaanxi province after the death of 17-year-old Dang Changxin, a student at Pucheng Vocational Technical School, which sparked accusations of a cover-up by local authorities. The protests, which reportedly lasted several days, were fueled by suspicions about the circumstances surrounding Dang's death.

According to authorities, Dang fell to his death on January 2 from a dormitory window following an argument with a fellow student. The incident was initially described as an accident, but allegations soon emerged suggesting foul play. Protesters gathered in the streets, demanding answers, and several videos surfaced on social media showing demonstrations where objects were thrown at police, and officers were seen beating protesters.

Investigators claimed Dang had a physical altercation with a first-year student over disturbing his rest, and the argument was resolved by a school official. However, later that night, Dang was found fallen from the window, raising doubts about the official explanation. Human Rights in China, a US-based activist group, pointed out "suspicious circumstances," including reports of a struggle and claims that Dang was possibly "pushed from the roof." Furthermore, Dang’s family alleged that they were not allowed to properly view his body and that photos from his phone were deleted, deepening the suspicions.

This wave of unrest comes after the "White Paper" protests in 2022, which challenged Beijing’s COVID-19 policies and saw rare criticism of President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party.