If you stumble upon a group fight, walk away immediately — don’t try to break it up, don’t stand around watching, and don’t pick up any weapons on the ground. If you want to call the police, retreat to a safe distance and dial 110.

37. If you stumble upon a group fight, walk away immediately — don’t try to break it up, don’t stand around watching, and don’t pick up any weapons on the ground. If you want to call the police, retreat to a safe distance and dial 110.

Cost: No money is required. The hard part is resisting the urge to step in and the temptation to watch from the sidelines. After calling, you might be asked to give a statement later; at most, this takes half a day.

In plain terms: If you intervene, your actions shift from “trying to calm things down” to “taking part in a fight.” Participating in a group brawl can land you in prison for up to three years; if many people are involved, it happens on a road, or weapons are used, the sentence rises to three to ten years. Watching isn’t worth it either — the more onlookers there are, the messier the scene gets, and you’re more likely to get hurt. The right move is to walk away. If you do want to call the police, step back to a safe spot and dial 110, clearly stating the location, how many people are involved, whether anyone is carrying knives or sticks, and if anyone has collapsed.

Benefit: Article 292 of the Criminal Law states: “Those who lead or actively take part in group brawls shall be sentenced to up to three years in prison, criminal detention, or surveillance.” If the brawls happen repeatedly, involve many people, have a big social impact, occur in public spaces or on busy roads, or involve weapons, the punishment rises to three to ten years. If such fights cause serious injury or death, perpetrators are charged under laws on intentional injury or homicide. The Public Security Administration Punishment Law also sets penalties: assaulting others brings a detention of five to ten days plus fines of 500 to 1,000 yuan. Group fights handled as hooliganism can lead to up to fifteen days in jail and fines up to 2,000 yuan. Guideline 5 of the “Opinions on Properly Applying Self‑Defence” says unlawful attacks include those aimed at you, at the public, or at others. Guideline 9 adds that if one side starts the fight with excessive force, or continues attacking even after the other side tries to avoid conflict, the responding party is usually considered acting in self‑defence.

Evidence grade: B

Sources: National People's Congress (1997). Criminal Law (Articles 232, 234, 292, 305, 310). <https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/201802/t20180206_364975.shtml>; National People's Congress Standing Committee (2025). Public Security Administration Punishment Law (Revised in 2025, Article 30, 51). <https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/202506/t20250627_699863.shtml>; Supreme People's Court of China, Supreme People's Procuratorate of China, Ministry of Public Security of China (2020). Guidance on the application of the legitimate defense system in accordance with the law (Fa Fa [2020] No. 31, Articles 5, 9). <https://www.court.gov.cn/zixun/xiangqing/251611.html>; National People’s Congress (2018). Criminal Procedure Law (revised in 2018, Articles 62, 110, 111, 193). Full text reproduced by the People’s Procuratorate of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region <https://www.nx.jcy.gov.cn/zwsy/qwfb/202011/t20201119_608817.html>

Notes: This grade is B because part of the consequences are backed by clear legal text, but the advice “walk away and call the police instead of intervening” isn’t directly stated in any official rule — it’s inferred from those statutes and from how group fights are judged. Saying “I was just trying to mediate” isn’t a shield; what matters is whether you actually took part and whom you hit. If an attacker is already down or has fled, chasing them to hit them no longer counts as self‑defence. Legally, you may intervene if you see someone being unilaterally beaten; self‑defence protects not only you but also others. Yet stepping in bare‑handed usually just adds another casualty. Calling for help, recording from afar, and calling police are far more effective. The safest choice here is “don’t intervene, don’t watch.” The benefit of calling 110 mainly helps the victim on the ground; overall, this entry offers one of the lowest net benefits in the book, so you must weigh whether the time investment is worth it. You should know a few key facts first. There is already a legal duty to testify: Article 62 of the Criminal Procedure Law says anyone aware of a case must testify; not calling police doesn’t erase that duty. In cases involving serious injury or death, police can still identify witnesses from surveillance footage, so standing around watching actually makes you more likely to be recorded. Authorities “must keep the identity of anonymous callers confidential” (Article 111). Simply stating the location, number of people, and whether weapons are present is enough — you needn’t stay on the scene. Only if a court summons you to testify without a valid reason and you refuse can you face up to ten days in detention (Article 193); ordinary bystanders rarely reach that point. Not calling police isn’t illegal: Article 110 of the Criminal Procedure Law mentions a “right and duty” without any penalty, and no criminal law punishes ordinary citizens for not reporting what they see, so walking away is perfectly legal. Two actions after walking away would cross the line: helping hide someone or giving false testimony to protect them (Article 310 of the Criminal Law, up to three years; serious cases bring three to ten years); and deliberately giving false testimony when called as a witness (Article 305, up to three years; serious cases up to seven years). Staying silent or telling the truth is fine; fabricating stories is not. If you yourself get caught in a fight, see Section 8, Item 10; if a stranger demands money, see Item 36 of this section; for costs after helping an injured person, see Item 39.