Chinese Residents Fight Authorities with Firecrackers

WONG: Lunar New Year celebrations may be over, but Chinese residents in Sichuan Province are still setting off firecrackers. But theyre not celebrating the New Year, rather defending their property from communist authorities that are trying to evict them. STORY: Early in the morning on Friday the 20th, residents of Chengdu Citys Wuhou district, wake up to the sound of 300 riot police. Wielding shields and batons, they block roads and about eight of them begin breaking down doors. But instead of fearing for their safety, these residents are fighting back. One of them is homeowner Yuan Xinggen. About 9:20am just as police advance up the stairwell, he pours gasoline on the first floor stairs, and sets off fireworks that ignite the gasoline. Immediately the house is filled with flames. Faced with thick smoke and unbearably loud noise, the police retreat. [Yuan Xinggen, Homeowner]: I was upstairs. They damaged my door and broke into my home. So I used the gasoline to force them to leave. My house is reasonable and legitimate, yet they only counted the house as 210 square meters, while in fact my house is 378 square meters, and only offered 300,000 yuan of compensation. According to Mr. Yuan the house is worth at least six million yuan and three generations have lived there. [Yuan Xinggen, Homeowner]: How can you force people to sell? (Censored) They are really bad police and do not behave according to law totally above the law. Sichuan authorities have allegedly promised the land to a real estate developer. Mr. Yuan says the method of calculating compensation is out of date based on standards that are ten years old. Many residents have been injured and hospitalized in the conflict, while six police officers are injured three of whom are in a serious but not life-threatening condition.

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YouTube | February 24, 2009

Tags:. .stairwell. .firecrackers. .chengdu. .unbearably. .lunar