2012-07-02

Violent protest in Shifang, Sichuan

Pictures of the protest are all over Weibo, posted below.

Sichuan Protest Turns Violent

Police in southwestern Sichuan province deployed tear gas against residents protesting a planned molybdenum copper plant in the latest case of environmental activism facing at times violent resistance from authorities.

Unrest in the small city of Shifang, famous for crafting cigars for Mao Zedong, comes roughly a year after massive protests rocked the northeastern city of Dalian. Unlike in Shifang, environmental protests in Dalian in August ended largely peacefully after local officials promised to close a controversial petrochemical plant.

Details of the protest Monday in Shifang were murky. The search term “Shifang” quickly became the most-searched term on Sina’s popular Weibo microblogging service Monday afternoon, with users posting photos and videos they say were from the protest.

“Save our homes and environment for the next generation,” read one protest banner, according to a picture posted on Weibo.

The exact size of the protest wasn’t clear, and city officials couldn’t be reached to comment. An employee at the emergency room of Shifang People’s Hospital said not many had sought treatment as a result of the protest, but declined to provide details.












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