Students take to the streets to stop construction on their sport grounds. When police injures two girls anti-government protest turns very violent. After hours of urban unrest, the government pledges to “talk” to developer. Social malaise is growing in China.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Thousands of students clashed with riot police last Friday in Shenqiu County (Henan). The violence, which lasted four hours, saw dozens of people injured.

Students from a high school took to the streets to stop a developer from building apartments on their school’s sports ground. They were met by police and two girls were injured in the scuffles.

Thousands of students then proceeded to attack a local government building, breaking down the entrance door and smashing windows.

Police moved in wearing armed gear and in the ensuing clashes at least 20 people were hurt.

Students did not leave the area until evening after a government official “promised to talk with the developer.”

Local residents expressed their solidarity towards the students, saying that “developers are in the wrong for trying to take over the students’ sports ground”.

In China local authorities tend to favour business interests over local citizens who lack institutional channels to protect their rights (petitioning the authorities is available but rarely successful).

As a result of this hundreds of mass protests break out every day (in photo, clash between students and police) against abuses and party members’ corruption.

Last Thursday thousands of people and police officers clashed in Jishou (Hunan) and Ningbo, the former demanding justice, the latter de facto defending the economic interests of local government and business people.

• china
• shenqiu
• henan
• clashes
• students
• police
• sport
• grounds
• developer
• flats
• jishouhunan
• ningbo