Local residents are using the recent sacking of Communist Party officials to air other grievances over issues like real estate speculation, health care and pensions.

Shanghai (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Shanghai residents have seized the opportunity to take to the streets to protest against corruption after the sacking of some of the city's top Communist Party bosses. Chen Liangyu, Shanghai's party secretary, and other officials have lost their job on charges of corruption and this has inspired city residents to air unresolved grievances

Hundreds of residents from the south-west Minhang district blocked a section of a major road last Friday and Saturday. Police ended it detaining four organisers of the protests, which residents had originally planned to hold for several days. Why take to the streets? Residents claim local officials underestimated compensation money paid out to locals forced to relocate to make way for the expansion of the domestic Hongqiao airport.

Separately, about 30 haemophiliacs and their families protested on September 28 outside the main Shanghai government building in the heart of the city. They claim they were infected with HIV from a tainted blood product sold by a Shanghai research institute in the 1990s. Although the city has agreed to set up a fund for local residents infected by the tainted blood product, it excluded non-residents.

Similarly, a long-running protest by pensioners over what they say are inadequate social security benefits has led to a protest march on September 27.

For analysts, this type of action is likely to spread despite repeated interventions by the police to keep a lid on the situation.

Mr Chen is accused of being personally involved in diverting city social security funds into speculative projects, including real estate and a toll road.

Central authorities have given great visibility to the local anti-corruption probe. (PB)

• china
• shanghai
• street
• protests
• corruption
• repression