Beijing, China, May 23, 2007 / 10:47 am
Thousands of villagers in southwest China rioted last weekend against the state’s one-child policy, attacking family planning officials, overturning cars and setting fire to government buildings.
At the height of the demonstrations on Saturday, a crowd of several thousand stormed the Shapi municipal office, pulled down a wall and chased and beat officials from the family planning department, reported Guardian Unlimited.
Riot police were dispatched to at least four townships in the Guanxi autonomous region. Hong Kong media reported that the riots led to multiple injuries and possibly two deaths.
The riot came in the wake of a new crackdown by the Bobai county government against families that break birth control regulations.