An estimated 300 local ruffians in the employ of the local government set upon the residents of a small town in central China, attempting to evict residents and make way for the demolition of their homes.
Villagers rushed to defend their properties, and photographs of bloodied protesters and fallen elderly women quickly made their way online, leading to outrage by many Chinese who chanced across or shared them.
The incident took place in a town called Wenquan, in the city of Ruzhou, Henan Province. Many were severely injured in the conflict, and, according to a resident, an elderly woman may have died in the melee. This claim could not be confirmed.
“The government tried to demolish houses by force—yesterday they demolished two or three, and dispatched 200-300 people,” a local resident to told New Tang Dynasty Television, a Chinese-language broadcaster that is part of the Epoch Media Group.
“Hundreds of us quickly gathered to safeguard our rights. There was conflict and injury… The media came but were stopped by the government, and they were not allowed to do interviews or take photos. The government doesn’t want the news released.”
Locals say that the government wants demolish the town as it stands now and rebuild it, perhaps an attempt to capitalize on the local hot springs from which many locals derive their living.
