Police detain protest 'ringleader'
- Source: Global Times
- [01:13 August 31 2009]
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By James Tiscione
Police have detained two men for protesting against the planned demolition of their homes by developers expanding the CCTV complex.
Both protesters were taken into custody Saturday after a meeting with CCTV officials to discuss compensation and relocation terms.
Neither man gave his name to the media but both reside at Xinyuan No 3 building in Beijing's Central Business District.
In a text message sent to the Global Times reporter before being taken into custody, one of the protesters, who was singled out by police as one of the ringleaders, wrote, "About five policemen came knocking on my door at 2 am (Saturday). But I didn't make a sound. After a while they left, but I'm pretty sure they're going to come back."
Officers pinned a copy of the detention summons to his door. He responded to the police notice and with a neighbor, who acted out of "concern and as a witness," went to the Chaoyang District's Hujialou police station later that morning.
Both men were then detained and transferred to the Changying police substation located several kilometers away outside of Beijing's East Fifth Ring Road – the subdistrict where the 35 residents of Xinyuan No 3 are being forced to relocate to.
The neighbor was released at 9 pm but the suspected protest organizer was told that he would remain in custody for 10 days.
"I was held for 10 hours without food or a drink of water. I wasn't even the one they were after but they detained me anyway," the released man said.
Since August 11, the mainly elderly 35 residents have staged three protests – each time requesting direct talks with CCTV officials. They are unhappy over the amount of compensation on offer and with the location of their new homes.
During the evening of the latest protest on Friday, a CCTV representative arrived "to listen" to residents who want the State broadcaster to pay the market value of their homes, estimated to be at around 40,000 yuan ($5,856) per square meter – double the price originally offered by the television network.
After an hour, the CCTV representative was quoted as saying, "I refuse to continue further discussions over the matter," and he promptly left the meeting. The detentions were then made hours later.
Upon hearing the news of the detentions, about 30 residents went to the Hujialou police station to ask for the release of their neighbors.
The detentions were made "to set an example," an officer said, according to the residents.
Both CCTV officials and police were unavailable for comment
