Angry scenes in southern China amid land grab protest
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Villagers protest outside the local village party offices, angry at the slow progress in recovering farmland sold off illegally by the previous corrupt village administration, in Wukan village in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong on Sept 21, 2012. Villagers in southern China were locked in a tense standoff with police on Friday, March 1, 2013, after angry protests over land rights, a local resident said, as Beijing prepares for its annual meeting of legislators. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
BEIJING (AFP) - Villagers in southern China were Friday locked in a tense standoff with police after angry protests over land rights, a local resident said, as Beijing prepares for its annual meeting of legislators.
Residents of Shangpu, in the province of Guangdong, have occupied the village square since last Friday amid claims that corrupt local officials were selling local land, the US-based Radio Free Asia website reported.
Hired thugs employed by local officials attempted to remove the protestors on Sunday but were repelled in angry scenes which saw 30 cars being smashed, RFA said.
Police arrived to clear the square and became caught up in the clash, it added.
