The Zhejiang solar panel plant protest occurred over 3 days at Zhejiang Jinko Solar company in Haining City, Zhejiang province in September 2011 due to fears about pollution from the factory contaminating the local environment.[1] The factory is located close to a school and kindergarten.[1] Around 500 people participated in the protest, and riot police were brought in to remove the protesters.[1] The protest began on a Thursday when protesters stormed the compound and overturned vehicles.[2] The protest was initially repelled, but the protesters camped out at the front gate of the factory until riot police arrived on the following Sunday.[3] The Haining City government said in a news release that 20 people were arrested on charges of destruction of property, robbery and disturbing public order.[4]
A Xinhua News report quoted a government official saying that the factory has failed pollution-control tests since April.[3] Government inspectors later found that water samples from a nearby river contained 10 times the acceptable amount of fluoride, which was suspected to have killed fish and pigs in the area.[5]
After the protests, the plant was shut down and fined about $74,000.[4] JinkoSolar Holding Company is a Chinese firm with more than 10,000 employees, and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.[5] The factory manufactures solar panels, cells and wafers.[3]