The Long And Winding Road To Nowhere

Throughout the apathetic Nineties and Noughties, power to the people was generally nothing more than a once modish student conceit.

No longer. To paraphrase Travis Bickle, folk everywhere will not take it anymore. And nowhere is this better exemplified than by a group in the Western Chinese city of Xi’an, in the Shaanxi province.

After constructors backed out of paying compensation to residents who live close to where an eight-lane motorway is being built, the locals have taken matters into their own hands and blocked the motorway, thus bringing work on the £50 million($76.7 million) road to a shuddering halt.

The enraged residents have placed construction rubble and erected walls across the road (with only small gaps in place so locals can use the route on bike) and say they will keep protesting until the promised compensation (£500/$767 a head) is paid in full.

Have you ever protested? About what? What would make you take to the streets today? Come on, you can tell us.

Image: CEN