BEIJING - Scores of people protested in Beijing against a garbage disposal plant they say has been releasing noxious fumes into the air, with two demonstrators hurt in a scuffle with security officials, a rights group said in a statement yesterday.
The Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said protesters on Saturday called for the resignation of the top environment official in Beijing's Chaoyang ditrict, where the garbage plant is located.
The group said about 500 people were involved in the protest but the number could not immediately be confirmed.
It also said that one of the organisers of the protest, which was held near the plant, went missing on Saturday night and hinted that the person had been taken away by security officials.
A man from a team set up by the Chaoyang district government to look into the issue said about 100 people participated in the protest. He declined to be identified.
According to the rights group, thousands living near the garbage disposal plant have suffered from rank and poisonous air released by the plant. It said the plant was closed during the Olympics, but had resumed operations after the Games ended on Aug 24.
According to the group's statement, respiratory and other health problems have surfaced among some residents near the plant. AP
