More than 10,000 residents in central China broke windows and smashed vehicles during a violent protest after police used dogs to disperse a smaller demonstration, according to reports yesterday.
The incident began last Thursday when hundreds of residents from the city of Daye in Hubei Province, angry over a plan by the larger city of Huangshi to annex it, demonstrated outside the Huangshi government office, the Hong Kong-based Wen Wei Po newspaper said.
Officers from the paramilitary People's Armed Police turned police dogs on the protesters and four were bitten, the newspaper said.
Several protesters were also beaten by the officers, the report said.
Two days later, more than 10,000 residents from Daye massed outside the Huangshi city government office and smashed the windows and air-conditioning units on the first to fourth floors, the report said.
Messages by people claiming to be eyewitnesses and seen on Internet bulletin boards yesterday said that nearly 20,000 people were involved in the protests and some blocked roads for two hours.
The protesters also smashed more than 10 government vehicles and overturned some of them, the reports said.
Some 1,200 People's Armed Police were sent to the scene and later used tear gas to try to disperse the crowd, according to eyewitnesses.
Two people were detained but later released due to pressure from the crowd, they said.
Officials in Huangshi refused to comment yesterday.
Employees at the propaganda department said that initial statements posted by the city on its Web site to explain the incident had been deleted.
The Hubei provincial government also refused to comment.
The Huangshi government has since suspended plans for the annexation.
It urged Daye City residents to remain calm, a local TV station was quoted as saying.
Large-scale protests and riots have become common among Chinese who are frustrated by massive corruption and illegal land requisitions.
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