Reaction: Chinese killer executed

Yang Jia's case has attracted significant public interest

The case of Yang Jia - who was convicted of stabbing eight policemen to death in Shanghai, and executed on Wednesday - has been highly controversial in China.

Many Chinese sympathised with - or at least claimed to understand - Yang's actions, which they perceived as a response to police mistreatment.

Here we publish a selection of comments posted on the internet in response to Yang's execution.

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From Tianya, a popular Chinese internet forum:

"He was born an ordinary citizen, and died a kung fu hero."

"I don't think he is a hero of human rights and anti-violence, at most his case can be considered a tragedy."

"You will be remembered in history as a hero, a very courageous hero, my respects."

"A heroic life, a glorious death" (a Mao Zedong quotation posted by several contributors)

"I don't understand the attitude of some of the people's comments above. He killed the police [but] you can't say that all police are bad and you can't call him a hero either. Has society really turned black into white?"

"You're still young and there are many things you don't understand. Wait a few more years when you grow up and you will understand. If you really don't understand, all I can say is open your eyes a little wider. You cannot only focus on Yang Jia killing the policemen. You must also consider why he killed the policemen. If the police didn't do anything, why did they... agree to compensate him 15,000 yuan?"

From Twitter:

"China's executioners are not singing, take care! There are no police stations in heaven, and there are no public security bureaus in hell"

"Yang Jia is dead, there is no justice in the process"