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Photos of sharp concrete spikes that were placed under the city bridges in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong province to keep the homeless from sleeping there have gone viral. Netizens uploaded photos of the concrete spikes on Sina Weibo, sparking online outrage against the authorities' ruthless, outdated and cruel method. More than 2000 10cm high spikes, neatly arranged under the Wuxianqiao Bridge, cover more than 200 square meters. According to a staff member of Guangzhou Municipal Construction Committee, they were put there 10 years ago, because too many homeless people used to congregate under the bridge and some even cooked there, which posed danger. |
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@Han Zhipeng, Delegate to the Guangzhou People's Political Consultative Conference It is inhumane to use the barriers to target homeless people. If we really care about them, authorities should focus on their rescue. And concrete spikes under flyovers and bridges are a waste of land. Hong Kong sets a good example in making use of these lands to build main bus stations for passengers to easily recognize or garbage sorting stations.
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@Xiaoxiao xiaoshutong Sina Weibo user Which is more important, people's lives or the city's appearance? Even a shabby shelter under a bridge was deprived from those who live at the bottom of our society, making it so harsh for them to survive that they might be forced into a life of crime. |
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@Drguan wanghshang kanfengjing Sina Weibo user I think government is doing the right thing. Vagrants not only tarnish the image of our city, but bring in some social problems. Think about this, would you get freaked out if you come across a vagrant sleeping right in your way when walking in the dark? Would you feel safe if a vagrant was sleeping outside your door? |
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?@Shenqituzishen Sina Weibo user Is this what we call harmonious society? The money spent on those concrete spikes is fairly enough to help a great number of tramps who're struggling on the edge of our society. I don't know whom these spikes might really hurt. They're stabs in the heart of a city. |
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@Mengchachacanting?Sina Weibo user The right place for vagrants to settle down is a rescue station instead of bridges. I don't agree to let vagrants sleep under the bridges, which not only tarnishes the image of our city, but may pose a risk for the road safety. |
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@Zhizhi Sina Weibo user Concrete spikes don't mean anything to the officials but money that was spent was from tax payers and the city's image that people were struggling to build has been ruined. As part of hundreds of thousands Chinese people who live under poverty line, vagrants deserve love and care as much as anyone else in our society does! |
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@Wuyulunbidekeng Sina Weibo user Now that Guangzhou municipal government has the ability to build concrete spikes under bridges, it should be able to figure out a way to solve their problems. If they can't sleep under the bridges, they will go to sleep on streets, squares, government compounds or in parks. Without practical series of measures, solely expelling those vagrants makes people think the government is simple-minded and incompetent in solving problems. |
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With more homeless people flocking to big cities, the government should take a more humane approach to provide adequate care for those who live at the bottom rung of society, instead of leaving them alone or even expelling them in a rude way. Achieving a humane, open and inclusive society where the vagrants are treated as equals still remains a challenge that requires the wisdom of the government. |
