BEIJING - DEMONSTRATORS gathered outside a fire-gutted tower near the new China Central Television (CCTV) headquarters in Beijing on Tuesday, protesting against what they called forced eviction, state press said.

About 30 residents accused the state-run television station of trying to get them to move from the area to make way for the massive and nearly completed construction project, Xinhua news agency said.

After about an hour, police persuaded the protesters to put away their banners and leave, the report said.

The protest comes six months after an illegal fireworks display - ordered by CCTV officials - sparked a massive blaze at the new complex, gutting a 30-storey building that was to house a luxury hotel.

The demonstrators were among a group of people who even before the fire had refused to relocate from their apartment block, saying the compensation offered by the broadcaster was too low, Xinhua said.

According to the report, the apartment block was damaged in the blaze.

The massive fire was a huge embarrassment to the government because CCTV is one of the ruling Communist Party's main propaganda arms.

The burnt building and CCTV's main tower were both designed by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. -- AFP