At half past eight in the morning, the grand public trial commenced at Bailong Port.
Armed public security police and the Armed Police escorted twenty-six scalpers off of five open-top trucks and lined them up under the large platform constructed yesterday.
The judge and people's jurors sat in the center of the platform, the public prosecutors from the Procuratorate sat on the left, and defense lawyers appointed by the Judicial Bureau and lawyers hired by the suspects' families sat on the right.
Passengers waiting for their boats and the local community gathered around the square to watch the commotion, with the suspects' family members arriving early, eager to know the forthcoming sentencing outcomes.
Looking around, a dense crowd estimated to be three or four thousand.
Although the police played a supporting role, focusing mainly on assisting with guarding the suspects and maintaining order, their presence was most noticeable due to the large number of people and guns.
