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SCMP Reporter

Thousands lay siege to Communist HQ
Thousands of people in Longnan  , Gansu ,  staged a violent stand-off with police yesterday, one day after they mobbed the city's Communist Party headquarters, burning dozens of cars and leaving more than 60 government workers and police injured.
Monday's riots were triggered when representatives of 30 households in Dongjiang  town, under Longnan's jurisdiction, went to the petition office at the party headquarters to demand the government act on  promises made in relation to a relocation plan. The petitioners were joined by crowds of residents in Wudu district,  where the party headquarters is located,  a statement on the city government's website said.
The crowd grew, and by Monday night more than 2,000 people had mobbed  the headquarters and vandalised two office buildings.
Eleven government vehicles were also destroyed, and the crowd later left,  state media said.
But witnesses said thousands of people were still gathered near the party headquarters last night as hundreds of riot police stood guard.
One witness said six streets in front of the headquarters were crowded with people, and a protester threw an explosive at the officers at about  4pm.
The witness said he fled after police fired tear gas, and did not see any police casualties.
The conflict is the latest example of social unrest that has gripped the mainland  in recent years over issues ranging from land disputes to the wealth gap.
The city mapped out a redevelopment plan in 2006 to build a new development area in Dongjiang and started mass relocations. The Dongjiang households, most of them farmers, have since been living in temporary shelters, waiting to move into the new development.
But discontent has been simmering in Wudu and Dongjiang since March as rumours spread that the municipality's administrative centre was moving to Cheng county.
It grew stronger in September when local media reported the move would be part of the post-earthquake redevelopment. Longnan was one of the areas in Gansu worst hit by the May 12 quake, with 275 people dead and more than 6,000 injured.
'The government promised many things in 2006, but when the administrative centre moves to another county, do you think they will continue with the development plan?' a driver who took part in the protests said. 'We are a poor city. Why should they use the quake relief fund to build a new office compound rather than develop the  city?'
He said  Wudu residents  felt they had been 'deserted' and would struggle to make a living after the government moved its office.
Some residents in temporary housing,  waiting to move into the new buildings, also feared the project would be halted and they would have to stay in the shelters.
The driver  said rumours were spreading that several people had been  beaten to death and three students seriously injured. The claims could not be confirmed.
The Longnan government said the petitioners had been fired up by 'a few with ulterior motives' and the protesters had rejected requests to select representatives to hold meetings with senior party and government officials.
The government said police 'had no option but to use force to disperse the leaders of the rioting criminals' but were met with a hail of rocks, bricks and flower pots and attacked with iron bars, axes and hoes.
It said rioters had set fire to  motorcycles, bicycles, office buildings and 11 government cars. Seventy per cent of the windows of two office buildings were smashed and telephones, computers and printers vandalised. Rioters even hijacked a fire engine that came to put out the fire, but  were stopped by police.
Taking the law into their own hands
November 7, Shenzhen   Hundreds riot over the killing of a motorcyclist by an officer at a road checkpoint. Police cars burnt.
October 24, Tonggu county, Jiangxi province   Thousands of angry villagers take part in a riot over a land dispute with a timber firm. Dozens injured. Police cars burnt.
September 29, Jishou, Hunan province   More than 10,000 people clash with police outside prefectural government headquarters over a land dispute. Officers make 40 arrests.
September 1-2, Xiangxi prefecture ,  Hunan
Thousands of investors clash with armed police over government move to ban some investment schemes. Nine people were detained.
July 19, Menglian county ,  Yunnan province
About 400 rubber farmers clash with police over a dispute with a rubber factory. Two villagers shot dead.
July 17, Boluo county ,  Huizhou  , Guangdong
Hundreds of migrant workers and villagers mob government buildings and smash police vehicles after death of a motorcycle-taxi driver.
July 14, Zhejiang  province
About 1,000 migrant workers break windows at a police station and throw stones at officers in three days of protests after a migrant is hurt in a dispute with authorities a week earlier.
June 28, Wengan  county , Guizhou  province
More than 30,000 protesters storm the police station and government buildings after the suspicious death of a teenage girl.



Protesters in stand-off after day of clashes