Anger at arrests over attacks on shoemakers
More anti-Chinese protests have broken out in southeastern Spain after the arrests of 15 people suspected of inciting a protest 10 days ago during which Chinese shoemakers' warehouses were burned down.
Chinese embassy staff in Madrid were quoted as saying several hundred people took to the streets of Elche for a second day on Thursday chanting anti-Chinese slogans.
A BBC report said some protesters held banners reading 'Chinese out', and others smashed windows in the town. Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television said some people marched to the town square calling for a ban on Chinese shoemakers, who they claimed were driving them out of business. Protesters later dispersed without major violence.
Protests broke out on September 16, when hundreds of people set fire to warehouses run by Chinese shoemakers. The incident has drawn strong protests from the Foreign Ministry, which has urged Spain to punish instigators and protect Chinese citizens.
The Beijing Morning Post yesterday said 15 suspects had been arrested for the violence. Damage from the fires was estimated at Euro800,000 (HK$7.65 million).
Sixty Chinese shoe companies are in Elche - the capital of Spain's footwear industry. Native firms complain they have been hit hard by cheap Asian imports.
Additional reporting by Dow Jones
