On the evening of November 26, over 1,000 property owners from the Wanke Holiday Scenic Residential Subdivision in Minhang District, Shanghai City, gathered to protest against the government’s expansion of high-voltage power lines, which are believed by residents to be a health hazard. Several hundred police used pepper spray and tear gas on the crowd; several property owners were beaten up and arrested.
The residents told The Epoch Times they felt that it was difficult to be a good citizen in China. According to the residents, on the morning of November 26, after most residents had gone to work, the local power company and police went to the Wanke Holiday Scenic Subdivision to begin construction of the high-voltage power lines without the owners’ consent. They dug a hole on the lawn. In protest, senior citizens who were doing morning exercises organized themselves, lined up in front of the wired fence, and stood in the holes dug by the police. The police forcefully removed the seniors from the holes.
At about 8 p.m., hundreds of property owners from the subdivision gathered to protest against the government’s action. They shouted loudly the slogan “Return Our Home, Return Our Health.” At its peak, the number of protesters reached over 1,000 people.
In a half an hour, the police declared marshal law to prevent more residents from joining the protest. They arrested several resident representatives, which led to more protests.
Hundreds of special police, paramilitary police, anti-bomb squad police, regular police, staff from the local housing management company, and security guards from the power company used pepper spray and tear gas on the residents. Several residents who were taking photos or arguing with the police were surrounded and beaten up. They were later taken away in squad cars.
