by Jennifer Baker / Revolution News Thousands marched on Jinshan District Government building Monday afternoon to protest the construction of another PX chemical plant. The march chanted “PX Get out of Jinshan.”as people marched behind a large banner that with the same slogan. Police lines were used to block off the entrances to the District Government building. The march filled the area surround and the protest remained all day and grew in size as it went into the night. At least 1 person was arrested during the day. Images and reports on social media show that at least 3 more people were arrested at night. PX (paraxylene) is a flammable chemical used in polyester and plastics manufacturing is a major contributor to air pollution. In April an explosion at a chemical factory producing (paraxylene) PX in Zhangzhou, Fujian province, required the attention of the Chinese army’s anti-chemical warfare unit and the evacuation of 30,000 people. Construction of PX plants has sparked many protests, including violent demonstrations that lasted 3 days last year in Maoming, Guangdong province. Air pollution and the especially the particulate PM2.5 are a major concern in the nation. A recent study by Greenpeace and Peking University has found air pollution kills more people than smoking in many […]
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