The protests, which drew thousands of participants, were met with detentions and tear gassing by authorities.

[1] Protests were ignited over plans to expand a coal-fired power plant in the town—a plan that residents opposed, arguing that existing coal-fired plants had caused environmental and health damage.

[1][2] Demonstrations began on Tuesday, 20 December when thousands of residents barricaded a freeway and surrounded government offices in an attempt to block the project.

[3] Late on 20 December, the state-run Xinhua News Agency said that five residents had been detained on vandalism charged, and published a declaration from the Shantou city council announcing that the "Shantou deputy and municipality already decided to stop the project.

[6] Tensions cooled by 23 December, after Communist Party officials declared that the plant expansion plans would be temporarily suspended, and authorities agreed to release detained protesters.