DVD Sellers Campaign

Min Quan's DVD Sellers' campaign started with the case of Xiong Zhang below who was found suffering from severe head injuries after being attacked. He later died in hospital. The case revealed the fact that DVD sellers were vulnerable to attack and robbery on the streets. Because they were also unauthorised workers, they feared reporting crime to the authorities. Min Quan has since been involved in outreach and developing safety strategies for DVD Sellers who are victims of crime, as well as presenting their plight to the police and local authorities.

DVD Seller MURDERED on street - Family appeals for witnesses 
 

At about 1:30pm on Thursday 19 July 2007, Xiong Zhang (age 33) a DVD seller of Chinese origin was found conscious on a tow path in Barking, East London and suffering from serious head injuries. The family is distraught and appealing for witnesses.

Mr Zhang was discovered by two plain clothes police officers from Barking Police Station lying on a tow path near the River Roding and Hertford Road in Barking. After an hour's wait, he was taken to Newham General Hospital, and then transferred to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.  He received treatment for brain injury but died on Friday 27 July 2007. 

A post-mortem examination revealed that the Mr Zhang's head injury was a result of criminal assault. A murder hunt was launched by the Homicide and Serious Crime Command on 28 July 2007.  However, Mr Zhang's widow had not been informed of the injury or death of her husband until she discovered this herself 12 days after the attack on Wednesday 1 August 2007. The Zhang family, who lives in China, is traumatised by the murder.  Mrs Zhang, “The murder took place totally out of blue. It was a brutal attack. My beloved husband left behind me in this country and also the whole family and our children in China. Can anyone with information about this murder please come forward? We need your help.” The family has asked The Monitoring Group (Min Quan) to represent them in the case.

A BLACK YOUTH SEEN CHASING MR ZHANG ON A BIKE

The police have put out an appeal for information about a black youth seen chasing Mr Zhang on a bicycle in the incident area. The family is also appealing for any witnesses, or anyone who has information about the attack, to come forward and to contact Miss Dilys Liu of The Monitoring Group (Min Quan).  Contact is strictly confidential.