18 detained by police after protest over chemical plant
Print Edition
POLICE in a southern Chinese city detained 18 people following a weekend protest against plans for a chemical plant, local authorities said yesterday.
They are accused of “disrupting order and causing trouble,” officials said at a government press conference in Maoming, where the chemical plant is to be located.
Another 26 people have received administrative punishment.
Fifteen people, including four officers, were treated for their injuries after the protest turned violent, but no one had died, contrary to some reports, police said. Eight already left hospital, while the remainder were in a stable condition.
More than a thousand residents in Maoming took to the streets on Sunday protesting against the plant, which will produce paraxylene, a petrochemical used in manufacturing plastic bottles, polyester clothing and other products. However, opponents say it is linked to cancer.
The protest began peacefully, with a sit-in at city government offices. Officials said that at around 10pm, a number of people on motorcycles started throwing bricks and stones at riot police. They destroyed traffic signs and set fire to roadside police booths.
Yesterday, the city’s public security authority admitted that innocent citizens had been “mistakenly injured,” and issued an apology.
“It was a chaotic scene and police might have mistakenly injured some onlookers. We will raise our enforcement ability and welcome supervision from media and the public,” said Zhou Peizhou, deputy chief of the Maoming Public Security Bureau.
Officials said again yesterday that no timeline had been set for the plant. But they insisted it would pose no threat to residents’ health or safety.
“The safety of the project is based on scientific research and successful experiences in other countries. We are at the stage of disseminating information relating to the project, which will not start until the public has reached a full consensus,” said Vice Mayor Liang Luoyue.
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