Tensions in the former Wansheng district of Chongqing remained high yesterday as residents said a massive demonstration, reportedly against the merger of the affluent district with a poorer county, rolled into its third day - presenting a first public test for the municipality's new party boss, Zhang Dejiang, who took over following the recent downfall of Bo Xilai.
Meanwhile, the Chongqing Daily, which once showed staunch loyalty to Bo, has become critical of the former high-flyer, printing a commentary accusing him of causing significant damage to the country and the municipality's development.
In what appeared to be an attempt yesterday to acknowledge but downplay the demonstrations in Chongqing, the local government posted a statement on an official Chongqing news portal, Cqnews.net, saying that 10,000 protestors had gathered during the height of the demonstration, but insisting nobody had been killed. Residents, however, said at least two people died as the protest turned into a riot on Tuesday.
The official word out of Chongqing was that the crowd had dispersed and social order had been restored yesterday.
But that statement was also at odds with accounts by residentswho said the demonstration was continuing, though no violence was reported.
In October, the State Council approved the merger of Wanshengwith Qijiang county to form a new district called Qijiang. Under the plan, Wansheng was to become an economic and technical zone within the district.