AnarWiki/markdown/Xiamen_Anti-Factory_Campaign_(2007).md

The **Xiamen Anti-Factory Campaign of 2007** was a grassroots
[environmental campaign](Timeline_of_Environmentalism "wikilink") to
stop the construction of a chemical factory Xiamen, Fujian,
[China](China "wikilink") in
[2007](Timeline_of_Libertarian_Socialism_in_Eastern_Asia "wikilink").

It was announced in November 2006 that a chemical plant producing
paraxylene (PX) and teraphalic acid would be built in the Haicang
District 7km from Xiamen, a city of about 3.5 million residents in
southeastern Fujian Province China. The two companies constructing the
plant, Dragon Aromatics and the Xianglu Group invested some 10.8 billion
yaun in the facility and local estimates showed that the plant would
bring 80 million yaun of Gross Domestic Product to the city of Xiamen.

Concern about the environmental impact of the plant began to grow in
March 2007 when University of Xiamen professor Zhao Yufen started to
voice her concern with the environmental impact of the plant. The
chemical PX was considered particularly carcinogenic, and current
Chinese regulations demanded that plants producing similar chemicals had
to be at least 10km away from residential areas.

On 16 March 2007 Zhao Yufen addressed the annual session of the Chinese
People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) concerning the
environmental dangers of the proposed Haicang Plant. By the end of the
conference some 105 political advisors submitted their suggestion that
the plant be relocated.

Meanwhile, local journalist Lian Yue of the Southern Weekend began
writing extensively on the environmental dangers of the plant. Local
graffiti stencils stating “I love Xiamen, No PX” began to appear
throughout the city. Bloggers at the University of Xiamen and throughout
the region began to cover the story.

As censorship began to grow concerning the plant in Xiamen, outside
newspapers became a valuable source of information for Xiamen residents,
particularly the Hong Kong Sun. Newspapers and mainstream Chinese news
began posting quotes from Xiamen blogs and texts (SMS) messages.

On March 25 and 26 a message began to circulate through Xiamen stating
that if the plant was built it would be like “an atomic bomb” over
Xiamen. The SMS called on residents to pass news on to their friends and
family, and called on residents: “For our children and grandchildren
act\! Participate among 10,000 people, June 1 at 8am, opposite the
municipal government building\! Hand tie yellow ribbons\! SMS all your
Xiamen friends\!” The original author of the SMS message is not known,
though it did directly quote from public concerns voiced by Zhao Yufen
and the CPPCC.

Local government in Xiamen was somewhat responsive to growing dissent
over the project, and on the morning of May 30 the Xiamen city Executive
Vice-mayor Ding Guoyan announced a temporary halt to the Haicang PX
project. He also said that the city would create a new environmental
impact assessment group to study the impact of the plant.

The gesture appeared to be too little too late, and residents proceeded
with plans for demonstration on 1 June 2007.

At 8:00am on June 1st residents gathered in front of the Xiamen
municipal building sporting yellow ribbons and signs calling for “PX
out\!” and other pro-Xiamen slogans. Around 9am protesters began to
march around the city, without clear leaders. There were approximately
10,000 residents present, though estimates ranged throughout the day and
peaked around noon when workers exited their businesses for lunch. Some
live-blogs indicated that several local businesses encouraged workers to
take to the streets.

Military police and local police officers were present at the scene, and
alternated between blocking the protesters and standing on the
peripheries. Though the temperature and energy was high, no known
violence occurred. Several times protesters chanted, “Oppose any
violence.” Some called for the local government head, He Lifeng, a vocal
critic of CPPCC environmental concerns, to step down.

Live-blog reports indicate that throughout the march supporters on the
sides provided water and encouragement to marchers. These live-blogs
also indicate a sense of confusion as to the direction of the march, and
a disconnect concerning who was leading the protesters.

Song was used throughout the march, and numerous accounts refer to
protesters singing the national anthem and other regional identity
songs.

The march turned toward the University of Xiamen in the afternoon.
University officials as well as police were eager to keep students from
joining the protest, and once marchers arrived, the gates to the main
campus had been closed. Shortly after this, many protesters dispersed.

Though some sources disagree, it seems as though marching continued on 2
June 2007 with fewer numbers. Other than SMS messages, the organization
of the marches remains unknown.

In mid-June sources indicate that construction of the Haicang plant was
formally cancelled pending environmental and community review.

In December 2007 over 90% of a local environmental oversight commission
voted for the plant to be moved from Xiamen.

In 2008 the plant was moved inland.