China:1,000 teenagers died in school collapse

Crying for the children, and for justice

Posted: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 11:38 AM
Filed Under: Beijing, China
By Kari Huus, msnbc.com reporter
DUJIANGYAN, China – Releasing a tidal wave of emotion and anger, hundreds of grieving parents and sympathizers gathered at a pile of rubble that was once the Juyuan Middle School on Tuesday to memorialize the nearly 1,000 teenagers who died when the building collapsed in the May 12 earthquake.

The heart-rending ceremony also offered the victims’ parents an opportunity to demand justice.

A woman clutching the portrait of her daughter, Dong Yan, cursed the people in charge of building the school, which collapsed even though all the buildings around it remained standing. Like most of the people in the crowd, she believes local corruption was the reason for the poor construction.




Ryan Pyle / msnbc.com

"We want the truth to come out and the corrupt officials to be punished," she said between sobs. "These corrupt players are the ones who have caused us so much misery."

Banners hung across the destroyed building for the occasion were more blunt: "Get even for the deaths of the Juyuan students," read one.

Another demanded harsh punishment for the "murderers" responsible for the collapsed school.

"Whoever is responsible for the building should pay with their life," said another, comparing the building materials used in the structure to tofu.

As the crowd grew, the sound of weeping became a chorus. Women sobbed, and men drew deeply on cigarettes as tears trickled down their cheeks. Mourners lit candles and incense in the wreckage.

Some women were so distraught they were carried away by family and friends. A girl recovering from head injuries stood holding a picture of her dead brother, a faraway look on her face. A hastily set up sound system broadcast a dirge. The crack of fireworks cut through the din.

Notably missing from the memorial service were any representatives of the school or the local government, who in most crises would be expected to attempt to console the mourners.
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