Donghai Township, Putian City, Fujian Province: On Monday, Dec. 29, 2014, the newly built Lanhai Chemical Plant began operation, despite months of protest by some of the 300,000 villagers in three counties. Several villagers were arrested that day, presumably because they were protesting. That night, a large number of villagers went to the Donghai Township government headquarters demanding the release of those arrested. After being refused, villagers smashed up the township government building and clashed with hundreds of police. Many people were injured. Eyewitnesses report that the Donghai Township government building was destroyed.
At noon on Tuesday, Dec. 30, thousands of villagers again gathered and obstructed traffic on the Shenyang-Haikou north-south interstate expressway. They used bricks and homemade guns against thousands of anti-riot police, and overturned dozens of police vehicles. According to Internet reports, two villagers and one police officer were killed.
From March 26-28, 2014, in protest against the construction of the Lanhai Chemical plant, thousands of villagers in Donghai Township’s adjacent Fengting Township burned the chemical plant and attacked a local police station.
