Villagers protest quarry operations

GUANGZHOU: Local villagers who are dissatisfied with the compensation given to them for damage to their houses from local quarry operations showed their frustration Wednesday by blockading the quarry and later causing a confrontation with the local police in Fengkai, a county in northwestern Guangdong province.

More than 60 villagers blocked the quarry of China Resources Cement (Fengkai) Ltd at about 2 pm to show their frustrations about the operation of the quarry and the damages to their homes. Three police officers who had rushed to the scene were held hostage for more than eight hours, according to a bulletin released by the county government of Fengkai on its official website.

The confrontation soon intensified when nearly 100 armed police officers hurried there to rescue their detained colleagues. Meanwhile more than 300 other villagers joined in the protest.