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| coordinates = | causes = | status = | goals = Suspension of the Sichuan Hongda Co. copper smelting plant | result = | methods = | side1 = *Shifang local government *Sichuan Hongda Co. Ltd. | side2 = Students, residents of Shifang and surrounding areas | leadfigures1 = | leadfigures2 = | howmany1 = | howmany2 = | casualties1 = | casualties2 = | casualties_label = | notes = }} The Shifang protest was a large-scale environmental protest in the southwestern Chinese city of Shifang, Sichuan province, against a copper plant that residents feared posed environmental and public health risks. The protests spanned 1–3 July 2012, and drew thousands of participants. Police were dispatched to break up the demonstrations, and reportedly shot tear gas and stun grenades into the crowd. Chinese authorities said some protesters has stormed a government building and smashed vehicles.〔Brian Spegele, (Quiet returns to once restive Shifang ), ''The Wall Street Journal'', 4 July 2012.〕 Images and video of the protest circulated on the microblogs and social networking websites throughout China, some showing the protesters—many of them students—badly beaten.〔 The protests ended late on 3 July when the local government announced that it had terminated construction of the metals plant and released all but six protesters who had been taken into custody.〔Caixin Online, (Timeline of Shifang Protests ), 5 July 2012.〕 The protest was notable for its size and the composition of its participants, as well as for its success in derailing the copper plant project.〔Stanley Lubman, (China’s Young and Restless Could Test Legal System ), ''The Wall Street Journal'', 16 July 2012.〕 It was one of a growing number of large-scale environmental protests in China that achieved success.〔Keith Bradsher, (Bolder Protests Against Pollution Win Project’s Defeat in China ), ''The New York Times'', 4 July 2012.〕 ==Background== The Shifang city area was among the most severely impacted by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, suffering heavy loss of life and major damage to infrastructure. The centerpiece of the city's economic revitalization efforts was to be the Sichuan Hongda Co.'s copper smelting plant. The plant was to be one of the largest in the world, and its construction was intended to spur economic growth through the creation of thousands of jobs.〔 China's Ministry of Environmental Protection said the $1.7 billion plant would refine 40,000 tons of molybdenum and 400,000 tons of copper annually.〔Mark McDonald, (A Violent New Tremor in China's Heartland ), ''The New York Times'', 4 July 2012〕〔Andrew Jacobs, (In China, Wait Leads to Standoff With Officials ), ''The New York Times'', 17 July 2012.〕 Copper smelting and refining processes can produce a variety of toxic byproducts, including mercury, sulphur dioxide, and arsenic. Residents feared these pollutants would seep into the city's air and water supply.〔Ben Blanchard, (China pollution protest ends, but suspicion of government high ), Reuters, 8 July 2012.〕 Critics further charged that the government had not been transparent in reviewing or disclosing information on the plant's potential environmental impact. Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, told ''The Guardian'' that the government "only released the short version of the plant's environmental report, which did not have information about the solid waste and waste water." Ma added: "Heavy metal projects are always highly polluting. Of course the public has concerns about this."〔Tania Branigan, (Anti-pollution protesters halt construction of copper plant in China ), ''The Guardian'', 3 July 2012.〕 Residents of the city had reportedly filed petitions against the project, but authorities took no action.〔 Reuters reported that although many local residents supported the efforts to create jobs, they were upset by the government's lack of consultation with the public and failure to adequately address environmental concerns.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Shifang protest」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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