China's pollution sparks civic unrest

Thousands of residents inShirfang, asouthwestern city in China, protested July 3 against a proposed copper alloy project, underscoring growing civic unrest with environmental conditions in the country.

The group, which included high school students, carried banners that read Get rid of Hongda copper alloy project, give me back the beautiful new Shifang.

Police reportedly used tear gas and violence to break up the protests. Chinas national government condemned the protests, and in a bid to maintain social stability, warned demonstrators to not stage further actions. This is not the first time the Chinese government has attempted tostifle criticismof its environmental record.

Shifangs municipal government agreed toscrap the constructionof the copper plant following the protests.

Chinese citizens have been increasingly critical of the environmental damage that has been a byproduct of the countrys economic boom. In recent years, there have been mass poisonings from industrial chemicals, rivers fouled by illegal workshop runoff and many smoggy days in Beijing and other major cities.

These incidents, as well as industry's continued encroachment on green spaces, has spurred the countrysenvironmental activists, some of whom were profiled on CBC-TVs The Nature of Things.