Shangli County officials in Jiangxi Province announced on the 13th that on the 10th of this month, villagers from Chongde Village had a dispute with Yinshantai Cement Plant, which led to a physical altercation. The announcement stated that media reports claiming '‘thousands in Jiangxi protested cement plant pollution and encountered 1,000 police clearing the scene, resulting in 20 injuries’ are inconsistent with the facts.' Currently, a joint investigation team has been established locally.

　　Villagers and cement plant dispute leads to physical altercation

　　On May 10, a Weibo user reported that on the afternoon of that day, 'at Yinshantai Cement Plant in Chongde Village, Shangli County, Pingxiang, Hunan public security patrol vehicles came to Shangli to help the enterprise handle mass conflicts and were overturned by local villagers.' The informant claimed that the factory 'attacked our villagers.'

　　The Publicity Department of the CPC Shangli County Committee released 'an explanation on the dispute between Yinshantai Cement Plant and local villagers' twice on the 13th via its official Weibo.

　　The announcement stated that at around 10 a.m. on May 10, a villager surnamed Lan from Chongde Village, Tongmu Town, and multiple relatives surrounded the cement plant gate to express demands to the factory due to a labor dispute. Both sides 'engaged in a physical altercation, which led to local villagers participating in extreme behaviors such as damaging property, overturning vehicles, and blockading the factory gate.'

　　Two villagers suffered mild concussions; injured factory personnel sought medical treatment on their own

　　The announcement stated that 'after receiving the report from Tongmu Town, the Shangli County Party Committee and County Government immediately activated an emergency plan, requiring the Party committees and governments of Tongmu Town and Jiguanshan Township and relevant county units to rush to the scene, promptly control the situation, and arrange dedicated personnel to send the injured Lan and his wife Yao to the hospital for treatment.'

　　According to preliminary diagnosis by the county People's Hospital, Lan suffered a mild concussion and soft tissue contusions and abrasions; Yao suffered a mild concussion and soft tissue contusions.

　　Meanwhile, injured factory personnel left on their own and returned to Hunan for medical treatment.

　　'Public security patrol' vehicle overturned by villagers; owner information under verification

　　The Shangli County Publicity Department announced that 'due to the complex contradictions between the factory and local workers and peasants, the onlookers were emotionally agitated. To be prudent, the government decided to adopt multi-party persuasion and do ideological work well. After repeated guidance, by 7:30 p.m. that evening, dozens of people were still gathered, and someone overturned two SUVs at the scene.

　　The announcement stated that one of the overturned vehicles had 'Public Security Patrol' written on its body, with license plate number: Xiang A12W01. Relevant departments are verifying the owner's information, and 'none are official vehicles of our county or township (town).'

　　On the day of the incident, 'villagers blocked both gates of Yinshantai Cement Plant, forcing the enterprise to stop production. That evening, the Shangli County Party Committee and County Government urgently dispatched and arranged for political and legal affairs and public security departments to maintain order at the scene, requiring township (town) and village levels to do ideological education and guidance work overnight.'

　　On the morning of May 11, 'the Shangli County Party Committee and County Government held a special meeting to make arrangements again. After repeated work by the county and township, although the situation has been effectively controlled, emotions on both sides still fluctuated.'

　　The announcement stated that 'the County Party Committee and County Government, on the one hand, organized public security police to maintain order at the scene and prevent escalation; on the other hand, required the county, township (town), and village levels to further visit households to do ideological stability work for the masses. By 7 p.m. on the 11th, through the efforts of the county, township (town), and village, the situation stabilized, all villagers blockading the gate of Yinshantai Cement Plant were dispersed, and the plant has resumed normal production and operation order.'

　　Officials: Some media reports are untrue; if in doubt, contact the Publicity Department

　　China News Service reporters noted that Shangli County officials released a second announcement on the 13th questioning some media reports.

　　The announcement stated that 'regarding media reports that ‘in Chongde Village, Shangli County, Pingxiang City, Jiangxi Province, a police-civilian conflict occurred recently. Villagers, due to environmental pollution, demonstrated at Yinshantai Cement Plant demanding relocation, were injured by thugs hired by the factory, which triggered dissatisfaction among thousands of villagers, who overturned the involved public security patrol vehicle and a sedan. As of the day before yesterday, villagers' demonstrations continued, and hundreds of police arrived at the factory’; ‘thousands in Jiangxi protested cement plant pollution and encountered 1,000 police clearing the scene, resulting in 20 injuries’ are inconsistent with the facts.'

　　Shangli County officials insisted that 'the county and township (town) governments did not take ‘clearing’ actions, nor was anyone forcibly taken away. No police-civilian conflict or cadre-mass conflict occurred throughout the process.'

　　The announcement stated that 'regarding online information that is seriously inconsistent with the facts, the Shangli County Publicity Department has notified public security organs to pay attention. If netizens or media have doubts, they can directly call the Shangli County Publicity Department.