Violent clashes over plan for incinerator in Guangzhou
Suspected protest leaders rounded up after four injured in running battles with police as thousands take to the streets of Guangzhou
Riot police rounded up about a dozen people late last night in a raid on Qianjin village, Guangzhou, the site of a planned incinerator, after violent clashes earlier in the day.
Officers moved in hours after police used force to disperse thousands of protesters in Huadu district following a series of running battles. At least four protesters were injured during protests involving as many as 10,000 people at times.
It was the third large-scale rally in two weeks to fight the proposed refuse incinerator in Shiling township, a national hub for leather-goods manufacturing.
Villagers said the riot police who took part in last night's raid were armed with helmets and shields and that they took away suspected leaders of the protest.
Despite a heavy police presence, protesters broke through police barricades at about 11am to enter Huadu Plaza, an open area outside the district government headquarters. They then marched along some of Huadu's busiest roads, bringing traffic to a halt in many areas.
Chanting slogans and waving banners, demonstrators claimed the incinerator would "damage their health" and turn Shiling into a "death zone".