2011, January 31

Anti-corruption protest began in September 2011, and escalated in December 2011 with the expulsion of Communist Party officials. The protests began after officials sold land to real estate developers without properly compensating the villagers. Several hundred to several thousand people protested and then attacked a Chinese Communist Party building, a police station and an industrial park. Protesters held signs saying "give us back our farmland" and "let us continue farming." Rumours that the police had killed a child further inflamed the protesters and provoked rioting. Residents of Wukan had previously petitioned the national government in 2009 and 2010 over the land disputes. In an apparent attempt to ease tensions, authorities allowed villagers to select 13 representatives to engage in negotiations.
Security agents took five of the representatives into custody in early December. The protests strengthened after one of the village representatives, Xue Jinbo, died in police custody in suspicious cicumstances. The villagers forced all Communist Party officials and police to flee the village.

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