Guangdong China – Four days of violent resistance to a proposed Waste Incinerator project have left dozens arrested and several injured, both police and villagers.
The pollution in the area is so bad that residents fear they and their children will not survive another major source of pollution nearby as the new privately owned waste incinerator would be. Survival is the motivating factor in driving people to the streets time and time again in the South China Province of Guangdong.
Chinese social media reports that protests beginning on October 3rd all day and night blockading roads at the front gate of the private construction company Conch Cement that is working on the incineration plant project, have escalated into riots on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday in the Yangchun City village of Spring Town. Police showed up in large numbers on Friday to clear out the protest, unsuccessfully, several police and other vehicles were overturned and set ablaze.
Protesters resisted the police actions during the four-day stand-off. The surrounding roads and highways were barricaded with large stones and partially blocked with overturned vehicles, some of which were set ablaze. Despite police using tear gas, batons and making dozens of arrests people in the area are planning to continue the blockade of Conch Cement in coming days.
People took over the buildings of the local authority, smashing the windows and barricading the road on. (video below)
Plans to build waste incinerators have been met with many large protests in several Guangdong cities in recent years as the pollution crisis in China claims more lives.
Janurary of 2014, in violent resistance to a waste incinerator in Wu Zhu village, Huangpu town, Zhongshan city, of Guangdong Province, Villagers blocking the road to stop incoming garbage trucks in protest of the environmental pollution of waste incineration, Energy company hired armed thugs to severely beat the protesters, 14 villagers were injured, 4 of them seriously.
March, 2014 three days of violent protest in Maoming City in Southwest Guangdong, 8 people were killed, 83 seriously wounded and over 200 injured in a Government crackdown.
May of 2014, in Zhejiang province a brutal crackdown on Hangzhou Waste Incinerator protest left 3 dead, sparked a riot.
September, 2014 Boluo in Huizhou City, Guangdong Province about 20,000 people march with banners through the city to block the construction of a new waste incineration plant. Although most of the march was peaceful, large numbers of police were sent to intercept and disperse the public. Dozens of people were wounded and at least 16 were arrested.
April, 2015 authorities in Luoding city cancelled their project following a violent protest that involved up to 10,000 people by some accounts.
start of Fridays stand-off. Police forces amassed at the local Authority buildings.
Blockade of surrounding roads. Friday
Police trying to flip their vehicle back over. Friday
Injured policeman. Chinese state media after days of silence released a statement that no one was injured.
Image appears to be the same injured policeman laying face-down and unconscious
Burnt construction vehicle. Friday
Another flipped police car on Monday night.
Car ablaze on Saturday.
Standoff with police forces on Saturday.
The following images are from Sunday and Monday.
Tear Gas deployed on the villagers.
Villager with his head busted open.
Outside of Conch Cement plant
Outside of Conch Cement plant
Outside of Conch Cement plant | Truck has busted windshield
Two of those arrested
Flipping a police transport vehicle
Three police transport vehicles overturned
Overturned vehicles used to block the road
