Environmental Disaster with Chinese Characteristics: Ten Thousand
Chinese Protest Chemical Plant

Ten Thousand Chinese Protest Chemical Plant
By Xin Fei
The Epoch Times
Jun 03, 2007

http://en.epochtimes.com/news_images/2007-6-3-demo-1-706011004161550--ss%%5B1%%5D...

On June 1, 2007, over ten thousand residents in Xiamen City showed up in
a demonstration to protest the government building a chemical plant.
(Photo provided by demonstrator)

CHINA―On June 1, 2007, over ten thousand people in Xiamen went to the
streets to protest the government's attempt to build a paraxylene (1)
chemical plant. According to a witness, the Xiamen government went from
a tough to a passive and compromising attitude.

The government knew about the demonstration beforehand and threatened
employees from schools and government institutes not to join in the
activity. Local media also received a government notice not to report
the activity. There were still over ten thousand citizens that showed up.

One of the participants said the demonstration started at 9 a.m. and
lasted till 5 p.m. The demonstrators went to the City Hall, Train
Station, the Bureau of Environmental Protection, and Xiamen University.
Hundreds of people held banners and shouted in front of the Xiamen City
Hall, "Protect Xiamen and Refuse Pollution," "No PX!" (paraxylene).
These people were surrounded by hundreds of armed officers.

Growing Crowd

More people joined the demonstration on the streets downtown. Passersby
joined the demonstration, including those on buses or in taxis. Slogans
and ribbons were handed out by the demonstrators as they shouted, "It's
everyone's responsibility to love Xiamen," "We want it to stop, no
stalling."

One of the participants said the number of demonstrators reached ten
thousand by 10 a.m. Many employees inside office buildings came out and
joined the demonstration. Citizens in cars honked their horns to show
their support. Many passersby clapped their hands and give out free
water to the demonstrators.

Crowd Defuses Police Violence

Around 11:30 a.m., police cars stopped the demonstrators. Several people
were injured in the conflict. The crowed shouted "No violence!" The
parade finally broke through the road block and moved on.

At noon time, the demonstrators gathered in front of the City Hall.
There was a stand-off between the armed police and demonstrators. The
crowd shouted and wanted He Lifeng, Party Chief of the Xiamen City, to
step down.

Later there was a press release from the City saying that an environment
safety evaluation will take six months and wanting the citizens to
express their voice through regular channels.

After 2 p.m., two thousand people continued toward the Xiamen
University. Many of them were children in school uniforms. Many drivers
passing by the parade honked to show support.

Government Threats

A student said several days before the demonstration, counselors at high
schools talked to all the students asking them not to join the activity.
Schools informed student organizations and clubs and forbade students to
join the demonstration. A student from Xiamen University said the
students received notice from the university that those who went to the
demonstration would be expelled. Government employees, Communist Party
members, and their family members would be revoked their communist party
membership if they joined the walk.

Many passersby said the demonstrators were very rational, calm and
didn't leave much garbage. The demonstrators kept quiet as they walked
by hospitals.

The center of the PX project is four miles away from downtown Xiamen and
Gulang Island, a national resort, and 2.5 miles away from the Xiamen
Foreign Language School and the Beijing Normal University Affiliated
High School that has 5000 students. There are over 100,000 residents who
live within a three-mile radius of the plant.

(1) Paraxylene (PX) is a colorless liquid that is highly toxic.

http://en.epochtimes.com/news_images/2007-6-3-demo-2-706011000241550--ss%%5B1%%5D...
Stand-off with the armed police. (Photo provided by demonstrator)

--ss%%5B1%%5D.jpg" rel="nofollow" class="url" target="_blank">http://en.epochtimes.com/news_images/2007-6-3-demo-3-706011000251550--ss%%5B1%%5D...
Stand-off with the police. (Photo provided by demonstrator)

Click here to read the original article in Chinese

Copyright 2000 - 2007 Epoch Times International