Local police did not prevent two recent protests in Guangzhou Province, a rare occurrence that has generated much speculation about why the usual heavy-handed tactics were not used against the protestors.
At 12 a.m. on Nov. 18, hundreds of migrant workers took to the streets in Huadu District in Guangzhou City. They held signs saying, “Pay me the money I earned with blood and sweat” and “I want to eat.” Local police escorted the protesters as they marched through town.
Ms. Sun, who works in Huadu District, told The Epoch Times that while she was out for lunch she was surprised to see police officers making way for and protecting protesters who were marching on the street.
Some bystanders also commented that the regime has always used violence to oppose protests by civilian groups. It was the first time that a protest by migrant workers had a benevolent police escort.
At 8 a.m. on Nov. 21, several thousand villagers from Wukan Village in Lufeng County of Guangdong Province also took to the streets. The villagers have had a long battle with the local authorities over land grabs, and their previous protest in September received international attention.
