Chinese officials have halted the construction of a copper alloy plant in Sichuan province following violent protests by local residents.
Local officials said large crowds of residents gathered on Sunday and Monday in Shifang city to protest against the plant on environmental grounds.Both police and residents were injured in the clashes as bottles were thrown and cars damaged, they said.
Officials said they would now consult residents on the project.
Local authorities said hundreds of residents and students were involved in the protests, while state-run Global Times, quoting an unnamed police officer, said "several thousand" took part.
The Shifang city government, on its official Sina Weibo account, said that 13 protesters were injured and sent to hospital on Monday after police dispersed the crowd with tear gas.
"Some people gathered outside the government building and began to throw bricks and water bottles at the building, government workers and police officers from 13:30, resulting in some injuries to police officers," the city government said.
On Tuesday Shifang police issued a warning to protesters.
"Anyone who has incited, planned or organised illegal gatherings, protest marches or demonstrations or those who have engaged in smashing and looting... will be punished severely," it said in a statement.
The statement also warned people against using the internet or text messages to organise "illegal gatherings".
Photos showing injured protesters were circulating online, but these could not be independently verified.
People in China have been increasingly vocal about issues that affect their health and environment, says the BBC's Martin Patience, in Beijing.
Previous high-profile incidents last year included the forced closure of a chemical plant in Dalian city after a mass protest over pollution.
Protests against a solar factory also took place in Zhejiang province.
0 comments:
Post a Comment