‘Strolling’ Protests Escalate in Chongqing

Large-scale protests against local officials’ corruption have continued in Chongqing for the past week, adding more instability to the southwestern megacity’s political environment since the ousting of former party head Bo Xilai earlier this year.

On June 7, Police cracked down on more than 20,000 locals after a clash around Dayou highway in nearby Shuanqiao town. Over 700 protesters were injured and a pregnant woman was reportedly beaten to death, according to Sound of Hope Radio Network.

The protests are said to be over Bo Xilai’s decision to combine two of the municipality’s districts into one while he was still in power. Residents say the move has negatively affected the economy, forcing businesses to cut benefits of numerous workers.

Residents have resorted to street protest, which they call “taking a stroll.” This has become increasingly popular in the district of Wansheng, where people are going out to “take a stroll” in Ziru Square both day and night.

Since late May, tens of thousands of Wansheng residents have come out to show their disapproval of the local officials’ decision to merge their district with Qijiang county.

Police violently dispersed the “strolling” crowd on June 7, which only triggered more protests.

On June 11, police took arrested and injured protesters to an undisclosed location.

A number of stores in Wansheng district closed down, with business owners joining the protesters. Local authorities then threatened the business owners with repercussions, according to Voice of America.

Hoang Qi, who runs 4Tianwang, China’s first human rights website, said, “China has experienced a great deal of protests in recent days, but the Wansheng demonstrations are the largest and have sustained themselves the longest in at least a decade.”

Qi recommended that local officials should let residents make the choice over the districts merging.

During a recent rally near Wansheng District Court, people chanted slogans calling for the ousting of current Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan and for the return of Wansheng district.

Plainclothes and uniformed police with batons later swarmed around the protesters and fired tear gas into the crowd.

Residents in nearby Shuangqiao district have protested alongside Wansheng residents, partly to show their solidarity and partly out of fear that their district might be merged with Dazu, according to Shuangqiao resident, Mr. Wu.

Wu said police severely beat some of the protesters from his district. The government did not respond to the public’s appeal [against the district merging], instead protesters were suppressed with violence. “Some people were killed and injured,” Wu said.

Disappearances

According to a source, wounded protesters who had been taken for treatment to the People’s Hospital in Wansheng district were no longer there. Hospital staff said they were taken away by police in the evenings of June 10 and June 11.

Other sources said police arrested thousands of protesters in the past several days as part of a widespread crackdown. They were also taken to an undisclosed location on Monday.

Ms. Gao, a local woman, said one of her relatives disappeared, and she was told he was arrested. Gao said she worries about her relative being beaten or tortured or that he may disappear without a trial or due process.

A Wansheng man, who gave his name as Mr. Yang, told The Epoch Times that people are worried that there are plainclothes police informants among the protesters and that they may spread rumors to pit protesters against each other to foment chaos.

Ms. Gao said that some police would not attack the protesters, therefore some high-level officials hired labor camp prisoners clad in police uniforms in Wansheng last week. Some of them had prison tattoos, Gao said.

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