Shijiahe, China
Police fired rubber bullets into a crowd of unarmed farmers in rural China this week to break up a protest against land seizures. At least 10 people were seriously injured. It was the latest in a series of protests sweeping through rural villages this summer. The state owns all land in China, and peasant farmers must lease their farms. Increasingly, they are being kicked off their land uncompensated, as local Communist Party officials confiscate farms for development projects, often for personal profit. Between 1999 and 2002, the last period for which figures are available, 1.5 million farmers were stripped of around 300,000 acres.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Political cartoons for February 19Cartoons Thursday’s political cartoons include a suspicious package, a piece of the cake, and more
-
The Gallivant: style and charm steps from Camber SandsThe Week Recommends Nestled behind the dunes, this luxury hotel is a great place to hunker down and get cosy
-
The President’s Cake: ‘sweet tragedy’ about a little girl on a baking mission in IraqThe Week Recommends Charming debut from Hasan Hadi is filled with ‘vivid characters’
