Drunk Expo visitor has arresting time

• Source: Global Times
• [09:38 July 21 2010]
• Comments

By Zhang Cao

A man has been sentenced to a three-month jail term for attacking police and security guards at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai after getting drunk, Pudong New Area People's Court announced Tuesday.

"Although he regretted what he did after he sobered up, he was charged with disrupting public order," said Yan Jianqi, the press officer of the court. "The Expo is an opportunity to display our country's soft power, and uncivilized behavior is not allowed in the Expo Park."

The 54-year-old man, surnamed Cui, studied in Japan when he was young and has been a driver in China for 10 years. On June 1, Cui and his friend visited the Expo Park and overindulged in beer.

"I am not very good at drinking. Normally, I only drink one or two bottles of beer," Cui was quoted as saying in the court's press release. "But I was quite happy that day and I drank too much."

Cui drank three bottles in the Lithuania Pavilion in the afternoon and then drank six bottles in the Germany Pavilion in the evening.

At around 9:30 pm, Cui and his friend went to the Spain Pavilion and lined up outside. By the time they got to the front of the queue, they were turned away as the pavilion was closing. Cui got angry and claimed to have been personally invited to the pavilion by the Spanish prime minister.

The security guards around the pavilion tried to calm Cui down, and two policemen also arrived on the scene. Cui became more agitated and assaulted them, but was restrained by the police moments later.

The court said that both police officers received abdomen and chest injuries in the fracas. Cui's family paid the victims 2,000 yuan ($298) to cover medical expenses.

This is the first public disorder case related to the Expo to be brought to trial.