In the second related protest in two weeks, hundreds of people gathered on the streets in Kunming to protest the construction of an oil refinery and paraxylene (PX) plant near the city. The South China Morning Post is posting live updates from the protest:
Hundreds of people have gathered near the Yunnan provincial government’s seat to protest against the construction of a petrochemical refinery and a related paraxylene (PX) plant in Anning near the province’s capital Kunming.
Traffic has been blocked by the protest one block away from the government’s seat and rows of police have cordoned off the block.
The number of protesters is still increasing as people stuck on public buses and cars are joining, the South China Morning Post’s Li Jing reports from the scene of the protest. [Source]
On Twitter, witnesses, notably @aikunming, posted live updates as well:
#AntiPX #Kunming this protest is on the move folks. Marched south to 牌楼。security not allowing protesters to march on or thru 人民中路
— @aikunming May 16, 2013
#AntiPX #Kunming crowd larger than 1000
— @aikunming May 16, 2013
#AntiPX #Kunming protest started @ten with immediate arrest of 1.Protesters tried 2 stop police van taking away arrested. Shut down street.
— @aikunming May 16, 2013
#AntiPX #Kunming protesters try to break police lines. twitter.com/aikunming/stat…
— @aikunming May 16, 2013
#AntiPX #Kunming traffic resumes at snails pace via traffic control.Old ladies cursing plain clothes cops.
— @aikunming May 16, 2013
#AntiPX #Kunming multiple protest zones now. Perhaps effective divider conquer by police. 1000 in interesection 1000 north of intersection.
— @aikunming May 16, 2013
#AntiPX #Kunming twitter.com/aikunming/stat…
— @aikunming May 16, 2013
“Democracy! It is beginning” reads a banner at the #Kunming environmental protest. scmp.com/news/china/art… #AntiPX
— Patrick Boehler (@MrBaoPanrui) May 16, 2013
#AntiPX #Kunming new view. Protesters return to orig site. Numbers dwindle. twitter.com/aikunming/stat…
— @aikunming May 16, 2013
#AntiPX #Kunming thanks for tuning in. Protests last forever but unfortunately iPhone batteries do not. Until next time…
— @aikunming May 16, 2013
Read about the related protest on May 4.
