'Beaten villagers' claim sparks clashes in village destined for demolition
Protest in one of province's last urban villages turns tense amid allegations of violence
Villagers from Xian village, the last urban village in central Guangzhou which is now being demolished, yesterday tore down walls erected by developers after a four-hour stand-off with about 200 police.
The protest was sparked by allegations that security guards hired by the area's developer had beaten up two villagers.
Six men with wooden batons and water pipes...bashed him unconscious
Hundreds of residents of the village, in the Tianhe district of the city, blocked Huangpu Road at around 6pm. After they were persuaded to return, 200 remained at its entrance in a stand-off with police, demanding that the government hand over the attackers.
Witnesses said Lu Runtian , 45, and his sister were beaten up by security guards, whom they referred to as "thugs", yesterday afternoon after complaining that bulldozers had blocked the way to Lu's home.
Security guards have been posted in the village since the demolition project began.
"I saw Lu running towards us looking very angry, saying he had been beaten," one villager said. "He then found a spade and ran back to the thugs, so we followed him. By the time we got there, I saw him being chased by more than 10 thugs.