Gansu land seizures lead to violent clashes between villagers and construction workers

Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday that five people suffered “minor injuries” in a conflict sparked by a the “land consolidation” process last Friday in a village in Dingxi, Gansu Province.

Meanwhile, an online post stated that more than 20 villagers were injured when over a thousand police and hired thugs stormed into the village, violently seizing the land.

According to the government’s version of events, the construction workers. who were expropriating the land for a pharmaceutical company, became involved in a conflict with local villagers over compensation for their property, which resulted in one worker and 4 villagers being injured.

The local government has denied accusations that personnel used poison gas against the villagers.

This is the second such "mass incident" to occurr this month alone. On November 18, residents in Haikou, Hainan clashed with the police over the construction of a nearby medical facility to house patients with leprosy and other infectious diseases.

Construction of the facility was called off shortly after the unrest began.

[images via NetEase]