2014-06-30
Local residents have accused a chemical plant of causing severe pollution near Zhangzhou city in China’s Fujian province.
RFA
Authorities in the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian are holding nearly 30 people following clashes with angry local residents who blockaded a chemical plant accused of causing severe pollution near Zhangzhou city.
The clashes came after riot police moved in to disperse thousands of residents of Xingzai village near Zhangzhou’s Gulei township, who had been sitting in outside the paraxylene (PX) plant for several days.
Photos of the scene posted online showed rows of riot police with shields, batons, and helmets facing off with a crowd of local people.
“Some of the people from our village were detained; we can’t visit them,” a Xingzai resident surnamed Chen told RFA on Monday. “They detained 28 or 29 [Sunday] evening.”
He said police had set about beating young and old alike who had gathered in a silent sit-in in protest at the pollution.
“They even beat up old people,” Chen said. “It was the riot police and the armed police; they were all beating up the villagers.”
He said local journalists hadn’t covered the incident.
“The local journalists don’t dare to come here,” said Chen, adding that his aunt, his brother, and a cousin were among those detained in the clashes.
