At 20:45 on February 10, the Guangzhou Baietan fireworks display that attracted the attention of the whole city came to an end. At the Liwan Flower Place, the audience who had feasted their eyes turned around and prepared to leave. In the crowd, a voice kept ringing: "Everyone, please slow down, don't crowd." As soon as one voice fell, another voice came up, almost drowning out the volume of the speakers.
This is the epitome of how the Guangzhou police maintained order and protected the masses that night. Earlier, security work for the fireworks display had been carried out in an orderly manner. That morning, various security units and personnel arrived one after another.
Liwan Shamian is located in Baietan, which is a well-known tourist attraction in Guangzhou and has become one of the popular spots for watching fireworks. At 10 a.m., police officer Liu Zhongwen from the Shamian Police Station of the Liwan District Branch of the Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau was already in position at the Fourth Street Bridge. A blue water horse stood at the checkpoint. He and his colleagues continued to guide tourists and citizens passing by, "When there are more people and cars, we must evacuate in time, otherwise it will be easy to get jammed." Liu Zhongwen hung his whistle and explained to the crowd, While blowing the whistle to signal the car owner. People came to inquire one after another, and the police on duty explained the situation over and over again: This fireworks display is a reservation system to ensure everyone's safety.
Wan Lipeng, a police officer from the Nanyuan Police Station of the Liwan District Public Security Bureau, said similar words countless times before his voice became hoarse. His post is at the Third Street Bridge, next to a pedestrian bridge, and the flow of people slowly increases from around 2 p.m. "We are the first one to pass through. We do preliminary diversion and can enter after confirming that they are hotel tenants, diners, residents and people with reservations." When communicating with everyone face to face, Wan Lipeng admitted that special attention must be paid to the scale, not only to implement security regulations, but also to maintain The image of a city. "Sometimes, you have to be flexible and flexible when dealing with situations."
At around 3 pm, under the overpass outside the E exit of the Cultural Park of the subway station, the speed of vehicles and people slowed down significantly. On the road leading to the People's Bridge, several police motorcycles formed a line to separate motor vehicles, non-motor vehicles and pedestrians. Liu Zhifeng, a policeman from the Liwan Traffic Police Brigade, commanded at the scene, "If you see an electric bicycle or a shared bicycle approaching, you should be directed to leave immediately. If there are motor vehicles to see off passengers, avoid staying for a long time. The goal is to keep the road smooth."
From 623 Road, along Jiangxi The road extends to Renmin Road, about one kilometer along the entire route, and more than 50 police officers have been deployed. During the period, some citizens who did not make an appointment expressed to Liu Zhifeng that they wanted to watch the fireworks, so he had to suggest waiting in an open area along the river. "Although it is blocked, you can still see some of the fireworks." Twelve years ago, Liu Zhifeng was one of the viewers, and he was particularly understanding. This urgent mood. Now, Liu Zhifeng's role and mentality have changed: "Now I think more about road order and people's safety."
At around six o'clock in the evening, the area near Huangsha subway station was crowded with citizens who came to watch the fireworks. On the overpass, a policeman held a loudspeaker and repeatedly called: Please go down, the bridge cannot carry so many people. At the fence, uniformed police officers became the target of help. Where are the restrooms, how to get in if you have a reservation... they kept answering, explaining, and offering other options for where to watch. On a nearby high-rise building, there were more than a dozen residents waiting on the rooftop for the performance to start. The police and security personnel were on duty in advance to prevent accidents.
Near the fireworks display, there is a security guard standing guard every 100 meters on the road leading to the Liwan Flower Field. When we arrived at the riverside, citizens had already crowded the viewing area. Outside the railing, Li Kai, a police officer from the Hailong Police Station of the Liwan District Public Security Bureau, stood guard. Considering that the makeshift fence was not strong enough, they were worried that someone would get too excited and knock down the fence and cause an accident. When he sees viewers carrying photographic equipment, he will remind them to be careful not to damage or injure others. "The main thing is that I hope everyone can watch the performance happily and safely."
The fireworks display is over, but the police cannot slack off. "Some people may find out that something is missing only after they leave, so they will call the police for help." Ou Xiaozhong, a police officer at the Shamian Police Station, is responsible for quick response and emergency response. He is on call around the clock and dispatched to solve problems at any time.
It was not until after 10 p.m. that the police officers located in 20 viewing positions, main roads, bus and subway entrances and other areas gradually evacuated.That night, the reporter learned from the Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau that more than 10,000 people had been invested in special security forces. There were no major incidents or accidents in the city, and the social security and traffic conditions were generally good.
Text｜Reporter Yan Min
Picture｜Reporter Zhong Zhenbin
