Kunming chemical plant construction protested
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Xinhua, May 5, 2013
|
|
|
Hundreds of people took to the street in southwest China's city of Kunming on Saturday to protest the construction of a chemical plant that they believe will damage the environment. |
Hundreds of people took to the street in southwest China's city of Kunming on Saturday to protest the construction of a chemical plant that they believe will damage the environment.
The protest started with a small crowd gathering in front of a shopping mall on Nanping Street, the city center, around 1:30 p.m.
By 2 p.m., more than 200 people had gathered, wearing masks printed with the phrases "PX project get out" and "no PX in Kunming," attracting nearly 1,000 onlookers.
Police have been working to maintain order, dissuading one protestor from hanging a banner bearing the statement "Anning Refinery, do not turn our home into hell."
Anning is a county-level city administered by Kunming.
The China National Petroluem Corporation has plans to build a chemical plant in Anning that will produce 500,000 tonnes of paraxylene (PX) annually.
PX is a petrochemical used to create raw materials for the production of polyester film and fabrics. The chemical is carcinogenic.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)