A local aluminum company used violence to try to suppress a protest inspired by road construction that had damaged a nearby village, pollution, and local officials’ efforts to take away the villagers’ land and give it to the company. Violence was met by violence, and three individuals employed by the company are reported to have died.
Villagers in Jingxi County of Guangxi Province in southern China initially sought through a large-scale protest on July 11 to halt the construction of a road by Guangxi Xinfah Aluminum, a major local enterprise, and to use the opportunity to complain to members of the aluminum company about its pollution.
Protesters had carried a banner reading, “Give me back my home, give me back my river.”
According to a local resident, the aluminum company has caused serious damage to the local environment that has left villagers with no drinking water or water for irrigation for a long time.
Xinfah Aluminum reacted to the protest by bringing 300 workers, who used water hoses and wooden sticks to attack the villagers. According to the villagers, several villagers were injured by the workers’ attack.
The villagers fought back by surrounding Xinfah Aluminum and attacking with rocks and homemade bombs.
According to internet postings, three Xinfah Aluminum migrant workers from Shandong Province were dead, a dozen were wounded, and some machines were damaged.
A villager, Huang An, explained how the incident escalated. “The manufacturer intended to build a new road; we did not allow them to proceed. They sent people to beat us. They hit whoever they saw. We fought back by calling for more people. In a little while, the armed police arrived and stopped us from hitting, but allowed them [the aluminum workers] to hit us. We were infuriated. Villagers from nearby villages also came to assist us,” he said.
The conflict led thousands of villagers to protest and petition the county government. Large numbers of armed police interrupted their demonstration and fired guns in the air to threaten the participants.
By July 13, more than 10,000 villagers were estimated by villagers to have participated in the demonstration.
Villagers in Jingxi County of Guangxi Province in southern China initially sought through a large-scale protest on July 11 to halt the construction of a road by Guangxi Xinfah Aluminum, a major local enterprise, and to use the opportunity to complain to members of the aluminum company about its pollution.
Protesters had carried a banner reading, “Give me back my home, give me back my river.”
According to a local resident, the aluminum company has caused serious damage to the local environment that has left villagers with no drinking water or water for irrigation for a long time.
Xinfah Aluminum reacted to the protest by bringing 300 workers, who used water hoses and wooden sticks to attack the villagers. According to the villagers, several villagers were injured by the workers’ attack.
The villagers fought back by surrounding Xinfah Aluminum and attacking with rocks and homemade bombs.
According to internet postings, three Xinfah Aluminum migrant workers from Shandong Province were dead, a dozen were wounded, and some machines were damaged.
A villager, Huang An, explained how the incident escalated. “The manufacturer intended to build a new road; we did not allow them to proceed. They sent people to beat us. They hit whoever they saw. We fought back by calling for more people. In a little while, the armed police arrived and stopped us from hitting, but allowed them [the aluminum workers] to hit us. We were infuriated. Villagers from nearby villages also came to assist us,” he said.
The conflict led thousands of villagers to protest and petition the county government. Large numbers of armed police interrupted their demonstration and fired guns in the air to threaten the participants.
By July 13, more than 10,000 villagers were estimated by villagers to have participated in the demonstration.
