New | Save Our Statue: dramatic protest in China to save ex-leader Hua Guofeng’s figure from being demolished
Locals gather in Shanxi to protect bronze statue of Hua Guofeng, built in memory of Mao’s hand-picked successor who helped end the Cultural Revolution
More than a thousand people have gathered outside the burial place of former Communist Party chairman Hua Guofeng in China’s northern Shanxi province since Wednesday night, protesting against local authorities’ plans to tear down his statue.
The plan was put on hold last night, Sina.cn reported after news of the protest circulated online.
Residents had on January 27 erected the bronze statue of Hua, Mao Zedong’s hand-picked successor who led the party from 1976 to 1981, at a square outside Hua’s cemetery in Jiaocheng county.
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But just two days after February 16, the 95th anniversary of Hua’s birth, they found signs that the statue would soon be taken down.
“After it got dark on Wednesday, the statue was covered with a red cloth and a scaffold built around it, drawing attention, so people started to gather to protect the statue,” said one local, surnamed Pang.
Photos online showed people crowded near the statue. Scuffles ensued between residents and police, who tried to disperse the crowd, videos showed.
On Thursday afternoon, at least hundreds of people remained in the area, with some having travelled from other parts of the province.
