Liu Changliang, 46, a former businessman who also signed Charter 08, said it was easy to see police brutality. "The Shanghai government petition office opens every Wednesday morning at 10.30am. Hundreds of petitioners go to complain about their situation. In front of them all, the police beat up one or two every morning, despite their age or sex, as an example," he said. His claim was verified independently by a number of other observers.