Tens of thousands of Han Chinese protested in the Xinjiang capital Urumqi yesterday to demand the resignation of the region's top Communist Party boss for failing to protect their safety as reports of mysterious syringe attacks triggered fear among city residents.
In the biggest rally since ethnic rioting in July, protesters waved home-made banners and shouted slogans as they marched in the streets before gathering at a square outside the government headquarters, several participants and witnesses said.
Police and armed officers were deployed, especially in Uygur-populated districts. Xinhua late last night put the number of protesters at tens of thousands.
'Among the slogans that we shouted, the loudest was, 'Wang Lequan step down,'' a protester who only gave his surname, Ma, said in a reference to the party boss. 'I didn't know there would be a protest, but when I saw them, I decided to join them. We are very disappointed that the government can't protect our safety.'
The protest was triggered by mysterious syringe attacks on the public by a group whose identity has not been disclosed.
Xinjiang Television reported that by noon on Wednesday, hospitals across Urumqi had reported treating 476 people, the victims of attacks by hypodermic needles. Of these, 433 were Han Chinese, 19 Uygurs and the remainder from other ethnic groups.
Zhu Hailun, head of the party's political and legal affairs commission in the region, said none of the needles were contaminated by infectious disease or poisoned by chemicals.