Published June 18, 2016
Scores of paramilitary police have locked down a restive village in southern China to ward off fresh anti-corruption protests nearly five years after an uprising garnered international attention.
A resident from Wukan village in Guangdong Province said by telephone that police swept in late Friday night to surround sensitive government buildings and take away the village's democratically elected leader Lin Zuluan. Local police announced on social media early Saturday that Lin had been detained on bribery charges and urged villagers to maintain social stability and "not allow a small number of lawbreakers to incite drastic behavior."
According to the South China Morning Post, Lin had been planning protests on Saturday against illegal land grabs.
In 2001, Wukan villagers with similar grievances expelled government officials and police, prompting a weekslong standoff.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/police-smother-chinese-village-ahead-of-planned-protest