Dozens of people have been detained by police in the eastern industrial province of Zhejiang for taking part in a three-night demonstration against a New York-listed solar panel factory that was sparked by environmental concerns.
More than 40 people were taken away by local police on Thursday, while more were detained over the following two days, according to a local resident.
More than 500 people from Hongxiao village gathered on Thursday night in front of the factory of the Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co, in the city of Haining, demanding an explanation for the deaths of a large number of fish in a nearby river last month, according to a local government statement. Scuffles broke out as protesters overturned eight vehicles.
The protests continued on Friday and Saturday nights with reports of more scuffles.
Xinhua said four police cars were damaged on Friday. A local businessman, Ma Jie, said at least two protesters were injured on Saturday.
Deputy director of the Haining municipal Environment Protection Bureau, Chen Hongming, said at a press conference on Saturday the government was investigating claims against the Jinko factory. He also said environmental authorities had previously found the plant was discharging excessive pollutants, a problem it was ordered to fix.
Zhang Jian, the environmental chief of Jiaxing city, which oversees Haining, said on his microblog account on Saturday that the Haining Environment Protection Bureau had ordered the factory to cease production on all lines that produced sewage and exhaust gas.
