60 hurt as mob attacks in riot over relocations

By Li Xinran  |   2008-11-20  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

STREETS have been locked down in Longnan, Gansu Province, after thousands of residents attacked the city's Party committee office building in a protest over relocations, Xinhua news agency reported.

More than 60 people, including police officers and government officials, were seriously injured as the violence erupted on Monday and continued until last night.

The protests began when negotiations broke down between dozens of relocated residents and officials from the Communist Party's Longnan committee, the report said.

The city government has relocated residents so that it can build a new administrative office center.

More 30 relocated families went to the Party committee on Monday morning petitioning city leaders to solve their housing issues. Officials entered negotiations but no agreement was reached, the report said.

More people joined the families and soon the mob began to smash the Party committee's office building. Some beat up armed police soldiers at the scene, destroyed vehicles and vandalized office building facilities, the report said.

Senior officials from both the Party committee and city government tried to calm the crowd but failed. Police officers were ordered to evacuate the area.

People at the gate of the Party committee building began to throw stones, bricks and even pots at officials and police officers.

They also used iron bars, chains, axes and pick hammers to attack the officials and police officers around 9pm on Monday, the report said.

Some members of the crowd smashed 11 government vehicles and were involved in robbery, Xinhua said.

Late last night, the mob had dispersed, according to China News Service.