BEIJING—Chinese police in Leiyang City said 46 people were detained after bottles, bricks, and firecrackers were thrown at officers and government officials during a protest by about 600 people against problems in the education system.
In a statement on its official microblog account, Leiyang police, in China’s southern Hunan Province said, on Sept. 2 the people were taken into custody for disturbing public order and damaging police facilities during the protest outside a police station, which occurred late on Sept. 1.
People angry about the difficulty of enrolling their children at public schools protested and blocked roads near six schools and a government building, police said.
According to a Sept. 2 Voice of America report, Leiyang public school authorities, citing a lack of funds, had recently relocated some fifth- and sixth-grade students to lesser-quality locally run schools. Parents of those children also had to pay expensive tuition.
The protesters, who aired their grievances to Leiyang Mayor Li Xiangyang at the government building, moved on to the police station where the projectiles were thrown, injuring more than 30 officers and damaging vehicles, police said.
A police officer from Hengyang City, whose jurisdiction includes Leiyang City, later told Reuters that 41 of the people have since been released.
The Leiyang Education Bureau didn’t answer telephone calls from Reuters seeking comment outside of regular business hours on Sept. 2.
By Stella Qiu, Judy Hua & Ben Blanchard. Epoch Times staff member Annie Wu contributed to this report.
