Man sentenced 10 years for violence in anti-Japan protest

A man was sentenced to ten years in prison on Friday for severely assaulting a Toyota driver during an anti-Japan protest that broke out in Xi'an in September, according to a local court.

The court of Xi'an's Lianhu District upheld evidence that Cai Yang used a motorcycle lock to pound the head of the owner of a Toyota Corolla when he tried to stop Cai from smashing his car.

A video of Cai's assault went viral on China's social networking sites, sparking public outcry against the so-called "patriotic" violence that broke out during a wave of demonstrations against Japan's "nationalization" of the Diaoyu Islands.

The defendant was also ordered to pay about 258,000 yuan (42,000 U.S. dollars) in compensation to the victim.