</image> <label>Performers</label> <label>Date</label> <label>Location</label> </infobox>The Qidong Pipeline Campaign of 2012 was a grassroots environmental protest that started in the city of Qidong, Jiangsu, China on the 28th of July, 2012.
Background
The coastal city of Qidong is located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, approximately one hour north of Shanghai. The city's economy is centered largely on the fishing industry, and is a major source of lobster and shrimp exports. In 2007, the Japan-based Oji Paper Company began construction of a paper mill in the city of Nantong, Jiangsu, located approximately 100 km inland from the coast. A wastewater pipeline was designed to carry approximately 150,000 tons of waste water per day from Nantong to the coast off Qidong. Although representatives of the paper company gave assurances that the water would be purified to meet environmental standards, Qidong residents feared the discharge would pollute water supplies, adversely affecting the fishing industry and drinking water. Some residents further claimed that they were not properly consulted about the project.
Events
On 28 July, roughly 10,000 Qidong residents took to the streets to demand the suspension of the pipeline project. An estimated 1,000 protesters stormed government buildings, where they were reportedly seen "smashing computers, overturning desks and throwing documents out of the windows to loud cheers from the crowd," according to The Guardian. Information circulated on the popular microblogging site Sina Weibo said that the protesters discovered condoms and expensive liquor in government offices. The city's mayor, Sun Jianhua, was stripped of his shirt and then made to wear an opposition T-shirt. At least five cars were overturned, and protesters clashed violently with police. A reporter with Asahi Shimbun was reportedly beaten by security forces while taking photographs of protesters "under attack by police."
Additionally, according to the Google Translated version from Chinese Wikipedia: "Citizens who entered the city government office building were very excited after searching out a large number of travel photos, travel hats, famous cigarettes, condoms, etc. At the scene, there was a scold. The wine was poured all over the place, and the fragrance of the wine lasted for a long time." The editors of libsocwiki are unable to determine the meaning of this.
Results
As a result of the protest, the Qidong Pipeline construction was canceled.
The Qidong Protest had the effect of inflaming anti-Japanese sentiment in China. The Wall Street Journal reported on nationalist comments posted on China's Weibo blogging site: "How can a Japanese paper factory come and damage Chinese people's health and our environment? How can we with our 1.3-billion population be afraid of that little Japan?," wrote one user from Guangdong province. Other called for a boycott of Japanese products.
See Also
References
Wikipedia (Chinese) - Qidong protest