Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Thousands of protesters besieged a police station in Lianjie, Weiyuan County in Sichuan on August 3rd. Authorities attempted to prevent the news from leaking out, but some locals posted the story along with photos on the internet, and news of the episode has spread quickly.
There is little official information and the police have refused to comment. From information on the Internet, it appears that at 3 o'clock in the afternoon a mob blocked the main street and surrounded the police station in protest because two citizens had been beaten for no reason: a woman was beaten to death by a municipal officials because he had parked her motorcycle in front of a shop, a man was beaten by police over a dispute with the hospital.
The crowd has held the barracks under siege for hours, throwing rocks and bricks and overturning police cars.
In the China of the economic miracle protests are frequent (over 87 thousand in 2008) against abuse of all kinds, by people who otherwise can not get justice. Often, events result in violent clashes with police, sent by the authorities to quash the protests. The exasperation is high and each new incident can trigger a public outcry.
On July 5th, thousands of residents in Gangkou (Jianxi) attacked the town hall and clashed with hundreds of policemen. The people protested because 300 police in riot gear had blocked the exits to the city to prevent them from going to present a petition of protest to higher authorities: those who tried to circumvent the blockade were beaten.
In June 2009 there were days of urban warfare in Shishou, Hubei, when over 50 thousand residents took to the streets protesting the death of a young man in a hotel frequented by public officials: the police talked of suicide but the family has denounced personal responsibilities.
The protests are a result of peoples inability to get justice: such as in many cities poisoned by industrial waste, where the authorities do not control the factories’ activities.