700 residents, officials clash over eviction order


Global Times, November 3, 2010

Family members of police officers were among 700 residents in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, who refused to vacate their homes Friday before they clashed with city workers.

The photo was uploaded into the internet?by netizens.[qq.com]

The clash occurred after dozens of officials, including court officers, attempted to enforce a court order to remove the residents living inside a police dormitory.

The residents include current public security officers, retired policemen and their family members, Yunnan-based Kunming Metropolitan Times reported Tuesday.

A witness surnamed Ding told the Global Times Tuesday that the residents and officials first had a war of words, and the scene later turned chaotic as some residents pushed the chengguan, or city management officers. Some tenants were injured, and an ambulance was called to the scene.

Ding, who lives in a residential compound next to the dormitory, said the confrontation lasted for 90 minutes and that the residents were still living in the dorm.

"I heard that the government offered 5,600 yuan ($824) per square meter in compensation," Ding said, adding many local residents are not satisfied with the amount.

An official surnamed Chen from the local United Front Work Department told the Global Times that the officials were implementing a removal order Friday.

Chen stressed that the removal was done in accordance with the law and was based on a court order, and he denied that they were trying to force out the residents illegally.

The local public security bureau and urban management office could not be reached for comment Tuesday.