Beijing Residents Stage Protest Over Olympic Eviction

Protesters angry about their eviction due to Olympic-related redevelopment mounted an angry demonstration in the center of the Chinese capital today, not far from Tiananmen Square.

Around 20 people gathered to protest on a residential street, shouting that they had been kicked out of their homes and had not received proper compensation.

"We don't oppose the Olympics. But it's wrong for them to demolish our house. It's wrong," protester Liu Fumei told the Associated Press, which filmed her screaming and scuffling with women in civilian clothes.

Beijing is under increased security in the run-up to the Olympics, which begins on Friday, and demonstrations near Tiananmen Square - the political heart of the city - are rare and usually stopped quickly.

Police officers surrounded the scene without interfering, but women who said they were members of a neighborhood committee led the protesters away from the area. Such committees work closely with police and other officials, although they are not formally part of the government.

A duty officer in the Beijing police news office told AP he did not know what happened to the demonstrators following their removal.

The protesters were evicted from their homes in the historic Qianmen district as long ago as 2003. The neighborhood has been redeveloped as a shopping area and is scheduled to open on Thursday.

"Developers shouldn't use the Olympics to take our homes. And we cannot stop protecting our rights because of the Olympics," protester Ma Xiulan told AP.

The authorities have created three protest zones at parks in the capital for the games. But organizers said this weekend that demonstrators will have to apply for permission five days in advance.

Liu Shaowu, security chief for the Beijing Olympic organizing committee, warned in a statement that "citizens must respect and not harm others' freedoms and rights and must not harm national, social and collective interests."

He added that Chinese citizens would be required to submit a written application to police, while foreigners must file with customs officials. Police will respond at least two days before the protests.

But human rights groups have warned that Chinese citizens are likely to be deterred from demonstrating by the fear of potential retaliation and the South China Morning Post reported this weekend that several people who had applied for permits had been rejected out of hand.