aunties dominate playground and beat up teenager

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Recently, a video titled 'Square Dance Elders Brawl with Basketball Youths for Territory' went viral online, sparking controversy.

The viral video took place at the basketball court in Wangcheng Park, Luoyang, Henan, and was posted around 7:30 PM on May 31. In an outdoor basketball court, a group of elders dancing square dance surrounded a shirtless young man. As emotions escalated, the conflict evolved from verbal altercations to physical fights.

In this physical altercation, at least five elders chose to engage, pushing the shirtless young man into a corner and throwing punches. One elder in a red shirt threw multiple punches at the young man, who then tried to retaliate. The fight only stopped after intervention from both sides.

On the afternoon of June 2, a staff member from the Wangcheng Park office stated in an interview that the conflict was essentially a timing issue, with young people playing basketball after work coinciding with elders coming out to dance after dinner.

On June 2, the park management temporarily closed the basketball court, making it unavailable for both basketball and square dancing.

The park management found another place for the elders to dance.However, the elders seemed dissatisfied with the new arrangement: 'After 20-30 minutes, they came back, saying they couldn't dance there and would wait until the basketball court reopened.'

This conflict once again highlights the 'square dance space' issue that has been mentioned multiple times by the media.

With China's aging population accelerating, square dancing has gradually become a topic for relevant state departments. In September 2015, the General Administration of Sport, along with the Ministry of Culture and other departments, issued a notice to jointly guide the development of square dancing.

However, as square dancing continues to develop, the problems it causes are also increasing. The core issue is the lack of space for square dancing. Elderly people need public spaces to find their leisure activities, but the current uneven distribution of public resources cannot meet their needs.

An elder who often dances square dance said:'We have no choice. Who wouldn't want to dance in the park? The environment and air in the park are much better than here. But how many parks are there? We are old and can't run far to find a park every day.'

To some extent, the various conflicts caused by square dancing are not so much about conflicts of interest and cultural differences between groups, but rather the tension in social relations caused by the uneven distribution of public resources.

Behind this is the increasing need for national fitness and the contradiction between insufficient social activity space planning and lagging resource supply. For example, reiterating the openness of large sports venues, and redefining the attributes and functions of public spaces like squares.

The root cause of the conflicts is not only the insufficient promotion and education of relevant laws and regulations but, more importantly, the overall lack of convenient and nearby activity spaces.

Let's take a look at some measures introduced in various places regarding square dancing. Although they may upset dance enthusiasts, they seem to be the only way to maintain public order.

1. According to Guangming Daily, Shenzhen's 'Greening and Park Regulations (Draft)' specifically stipulate that elders can only dance square dance from 7 to 9 AM and 7 to 9 PM, and the volume must be limited.

2. According to Xinhua News in February 2016, the 'Xi'an City Park Regulations (Draft)' sought public opinion, stating that organizers and participants of fitness and entertainment activities in parks should conduct activities within designated areas, times, and volume limits. If the activities disturb the normal rest of nearby residents, the urban management law enforcement department will order corrections. If the corrections are not made, a fine of 500 yuan will be imposed on units and 200 yuan on individuals.

3. According to Xin'an Evening News in June 2016, a street in Hefei implemented a real-name registration system for square dancing, accepted resident complaints, and regulated the time, place, and volume of square cultural activities. A special inspection team was established to patrol various square dance spots every two or three days. Violations were immediately addressed with the organizers.

4. According to China News in February 2017, the 'Beijing National Fitness Regulations' passed by the Fifth Session of the 14th Beijing Municipal People's Congress officially came into effect on March 1. The document states that personal and group fitness activities must not disrupt public order or affect others' normal work, study, and life. Serious cases will constitute a violation of public security management, and the public security organs will impose administrative penalties according to law.

It can be said that various places currently can only adopt 'blocking' and supervision measures for square dancing, but how to better carry out national fitness activities remains a challenge.

To truly provide square dance spaces, there are two main approaches: revitalizing existing spaces and increasing new spaces. Increasing new spaces is difficult to achieve overnight, and revitalizing existing spaces does not seem optimistic from practical experience.

For many elders, square dancing builds a bridge for them. But if the bridge's foundation is unstable, it will only increase opposition and danger.

Since it is difficult to create new spaces in city centers, nearby schools and parks have become 'contested areas.' However, there are still difficulties in implementing solutions to the square dance disturbance problem.

In fact, in many places across the country, especially in bustling urban areas, fitness spaces have become scarce resources. This includes delays in building new sports facilities, repurposing existing facilities, and new facilities being located in remote areas. The historical debt has accumulated to a considerable extent.

Where elderly people can find their leisure activities and spaces has become a pressing issue for the development of national fitness. Otherwise, conflicts like the one with the basketball youths will continue to occur.