No, I want to arrest him! Swarm of officers surround one protester after rare public demo in China
- Protesters take to the streets of Qidong over industrial waste pipeline
- Riot officers called in after cars are overturned and government buildings are ransacked
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These dramatic scenes show the moment a protester clashed with police in China as they were outnumbered by hoards of officers.
Around 1,000 demonstrators marched through the city of Qidong, about an hour north of Shanghai, in the latest in a string of environmental led protests.
And clashes erupted after protesters ransacked government buildings, overturned cars and flung documents from offices.
Outnumbered: Police swarm around a protestor
outside the local government offices in the coastal city of Qidong
following demonstrations
Making a stand: A protester stands in front of a lines of riot police officers called in to quell the situation in Qidong
Violent: Police encircle the protestor as he lays on the ground and appear to be beating him
Sparked by fears of environmental degradation the latest clash highlights the social tensions the government in Beijing faces as it approaches a leadership transition this year.
It was also the second cancellation of an industrial project this month, as officials buckle under pressure from protests.
Zhang Guohua, city mayor of the eastern China city of Nantong, said in a statement the city would terminate the planned pipeline that would have emptied waste water from a Japanese-owned paper factory via the coastal town of Qidong into the sea.
Armed: Police arm themselves in riot gear as they prepare to push back protesters
Wreckage: Protesters overturn a police car as they hit back against officers
Damage: Documents are strewn on the floor and cars are damaged by protesters outside the local government office building
Ransacked: Demonstrators stand inside a
destroyed office at the local government building where desks and
computers were overturned and smashed
A number of cars and a minibus were overturned and destroyed, while at least two police officers were dragged into the crowd at the government office and punched and beaten up.
But police were out in numbers, many in riot gear, as they clashed with a number of protestors.
Environmental worries have stoked calls for expanded rights for citizens and greater consultation in the tightly controlled one-party state.
The outpouring of public anger is emblematic of the rising discontent facing Chinese leaders, who are obsessed with maintaining stability and struggling to balance growth with rising public anger over environmental threats.
Trouble: Pockets of clashes continue as police take on protesters head on
Support in numbers: Large numbers of officers guard the local government office building
The leadership has vowed to clean up China's skies and waterways and increasingly tried to appear responsive to complaints about pollution.
But environmental disputes pit citizens against local officials whose aim is to lure fresh investment and revenue into their areas.
Protesters beat a policeman having come out to protest against plans for an industrial waste pipeline
Protesters surround a policeman as the clashes get out of hand
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