Chinese Protestors Put Smog Masks On Statues, And In Come The Riot Police - Guardian
An environmental protest in China was aggressively put down at the weekend, with a large police presence continuing for days to prevent further demonstrations in an unusually heavy-handed response. The protests started after the south-western city of Chengdu was shrouded in thick smog, with some residents placing pollution masks on statues. An unknown number were taken away by police, with security forces in riot gear seen in the citys downtown shopping area.
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Tianfu Square, in the heart of the city, was still closed on Monday, with police cars parked in the middle and officers at the edges preventing people from entering. Police ordered copy shops to record details of anyone seeking to photocopy flyers complaining about the smog and to contact the authorities, according to photos of an official notice circulating online. Anyone placing large orders of face masks should also be reported, the notice said.
Police rarely allow protests in China, but small-scale demonstrations are usually dispersed quickly and without mass detentions. The response in Chengdu was severe given the size, although exact numbers for the protest are unknown.
Some reported being stopped and questioned by police simply for wearing pollution masks in the same neighbourhood as the demonstration, according to social media posts, with at least a dozen being detained. Residents quickly took to social media, calling for more action and posting photos of themselves with signs saying let me breathe.
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/12/china-riot-police-seal-off-city-centre-after-smog-protesters-put-masks-on-statues