Syringe attacks spark new protest in china

Protesters push against Chinese paramilitary police on the streets of Urumqi in China’s Xinjiang province on Thursday. Hundreds,possibly thousands,of Chinese protested deteriorating public safety after a series of syringe attacks further unnerved residents in Urumqi where ethnic rioting in July killed nearly 200 people. Han Chinese marched to the city centre and confronted local Communist Party leaders demanding they step down. They called for the ouster of Xinjiang party secretary Wang Lequan,an ally of President Hu Jintao. The protest came after rumours that gangs roamed the city stabbing mostly Han people with hypodermic needles,scaring residents. City officials and state media confirmed the attacks,saying 21 had been detained. A report read on Xinjiang TV’s newscast said 476 people sought treatment for stabbing,though only 89 had obvious signs of being pricked. Concerns about the stabbings may be high because Xinjiang has the highest rate of AIDS virus infections in China,with about 25,000 cases of HIV reported last year.