Ethylene Plant Protest in Chengdu

[Kim Duistermaat]

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1227111/chengdu-ethylene-plant-halts-construction-over-quake-safety-fears

Apparently police are expecting a protest Saturday 4th of May around the Times Residence / Shangrila area.

[Slavsky]

Any idea whether it’s safe to show up for making some photo shots? What’s the attitude of police in China towards photographers?

[Kim Duistermaat]

no idea, but at this particular occasion they may be nervous, especially with foreigners?

[Slavsky]

And considering the fact, that goverment is doing their best to prevent spreading of info..

[oh davey]

It could turn out to be quite a serious protest considering how little it is publicised.

First time also in our complex I have seen notices (from local PSB office)posted on our doors and elevators cautiously advising people not to protest while assuring them they will have the right to take part in a complaints process or something similar.

Never seen notices posted like that before.

@Slavsky: I’d be a little wary and discrete if you do bring your camera. Maybe bring a more discrete sized camera.

I think police probably ok as they would probably just block you from entering area.

Problems may arise if there are two groups opposing each other, staged or otherwise.

Who knows, nothing much may happen;-)

[SS]

Well, my school (middle school) decided to have classes today because they didn’t want to risk students showing up, so I am now off to work for the second Saturday in a row. The last time I remember schools deciding to have weekend classes on days of expected protests it was pretty intense, staged or not.

[Vincent NL]

I just cycled past Tianfu Square and all around the square there are police officers a meter apart. Guess they expect the worst.

[Ian]

My wife told me that the government are saying that they are doing a earthquake drill today a bit of a coincidence.

Also she told me that some locals got arrested last week for posting about the protests on Weibo.

[Charlie]

Quote:

@Slavsky: I’d be a little wary and discrete if you do bring your camera. Maybe bring a more discrete sized camera.

Yeah, anything non-SLR will be no problem. I’ve photographed at protests in Chengdu before like this: Anti Japan Protest Ignites Chengdu. No one bothered me or stopped me from taking photos.

Is this still going on, or has it ended?

[Merior]

@ Charlie – reportedly no sign of any protest as of 15 minutes ago but plenty of police still waiting for that photo opportunity.

[Kim Duistermaat]

Charlie, the big difference with the Japan protest is that on that occasion, every news about the chinese protesting against the unjust attitude of Japan was welcome. This case is the opposite I would say. Anyway, nothing much seems to have happened.

[Stephen Howard]

I rode by JiuYanQiao at about 2:30 and I didn’t see any kind of protest, just lots of police. Anyone go earlier in the day? Be interested to hear if it never materialized or got disbanded really quickly.

[Amason]

I just read these articles on the protests in China.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/05/20135415820150217.html

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/hundreds-protest-china-chemical-plant-xi/663394.html

[Seabass]

Does anyone have any info on a possible event today? I live right next to Jiu Yan qiao and there are bus loads full of police, rent a cops, and even some military vehicles all over the place down here… Smthg must be brewing…

[Slavsky]

@Seabass, can you make some photos of military vehicles?

[Seabass]

Haha, I’m not really looking to go down the dissident road, but the vehicles are parked on Zhimin Donglu 致民东路，just behind the riverside bar street, about 100-200 meters inside the 1st ring road. They are just the type of military trucks that would typically transport troops, personnel, etc

[Brendan]

Quote:

I’m not really looking to go down the dissident road

Oh go on.

I saw some hilarious looking ‘Police’ this morning, including a woman in full (clown) make up and high heels. Scary stuff. No protesters though, they probably stayed at home since it’s been looking like rain/drizzle all day.

[Author]

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