Authorities have detained two people in northern China for allegedly posting insulting messages on social media about a police officer who was killed on duty on Chinese New Year.
Qu Yuquan, 38, died in the hospital from injuries sustained from attempting to break up a drunken brawl outside a karaoke bar on Jan. 27 in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province.
At least five people have been arrested for their involvement in the brawl, according to state media.
In response to a post by Harbin police announcing Qu's death, Sina Weibo user "changchunshehuijie" left a disparaging comment about the slain officer and his daughter.
"It's great. His daughter has no one to protect her. It's the New Year, didn't you get what you deserved?" read the post.
The man, who was found in Nanning City in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has admitted to posting the message. An investigation is underway, police said Tuesday.
Another man, surnamed Chen, was also arrested in Guangdong Province on Sunday for a similar offense.
"Whoever killed the police officer is a hero, thumbs up," wrote Chen under his Weibo handle "lukehcen0."
Many netizens approved with the police response.
"Police officers can be supervised and criticized but not insulted. Such a trend not only damages the image of police and their authority but also devours our belief in heroes," one commenter named changchunyigenyan wrote.
Law experts justified the arrests, saying such inflammatory comments are not covered by free speech.
"Insulting a police officer who died while on duty negatively affects society. [The intention of these posts] was to challenge the authority of police," Wang Sixin, a law expert at Communication University of China, told the Global Times.
He Hui, director of the Public Relations and Public Opinion Institute of the Communication University of China, said the arrests were the result of intensified monitoring and supervision of public opinion in recent years.
"While freedom of speech is a right protected by China's Constitution, it is applicable under a political framework," said He.