China arrests 26 suspects in attack on government building in Guangdong

Police in Shantou City, Guangdong Province, China have arrested 26 suspects who attacked a government building and injured many people, authorities said, according to Xinhua.

Speaking at a press conference, Shantou Vice Mayor Qiu Wei said many officials, police and residents were injured, many of them in critical condition, after an angry mob stormed the Shantou City Party Committee building.

A protest in Guangdong in 2011 over land compensation issues. (Photo: latimes.com)

According to Mr. Qiu Wei, the suspects had incited anger among villagers over the expansion of a landfill. The suspects had previously incited villagers to block roads and clash with police, injuring more than 30 officers on July 7, in an attempt to force authorities to release some gamblers who had been detained earlier.

Police arrested the suspects and seized 200 weapons, including knives and batons, on September 27.

However, some residents said they were dissatisfied with the government's failure to provide adequate compensation after confiscating their land./.

According to VNA