BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police have cracked a serious criminal case involving 10 suspects who gathered crowds for illegal demonstrations and assaulting the police in early October in the eastern province of Shandong.
Police have charged the suspects with obstructing official business, intentional injury, disrupting public order and causing disturbances.
The incident, which took place from Oct. 4 to 7 in Pingdu City of Shandong, saw some 300 people gathered on a local square and some 60 assaulted the police and smashed a police van and three civilian vehicles for about 11 minutes.
The rioters used wood sticks, sledgehammer handles, pickaxe handles and dry powder fire extinguishers during the riot.
A total of 34 policemen and others were injured during the disturbance, and over 100 business outlets were forced to close, according to authorities.
Police later found that the suspects used the Internet and telephones to gather the crowds in the name of "military veterans." They tried to gain support by spreading fake information of being "beaten" by local authorities.
Some of the suspects have been detained or imprisoned in the past for obstructing official business, causing disturbances, drug abuse, theft and swindling.
