Photo Caption: Jin Xuefang, 65, walks amid the ruins of her and her husband Guan Daoli's courtyard home in central Beijing. A disgruntled Chinese farmer was the second person in three weeks to set himself alight in protest against a controversial government eviction scheme.(AFP/file/Frederick J. Brown)

Over one hundred Beijing citizens, mostly middled aged and elderly protested in front of Beijing's city hall last Thursday morning,in an effort to stop land developers from building huge apartment complexes that would interfere with their living environment.

A person observing the event directly across from city hall, told Radio Free Asia journalist that, "The protest was peaceful, and the police department did not have any special arrangements. The road is not closed, there were not many police officers and pretty much everything seems normal."

The protesters said that they live in a new residential quarter, and the land developers promised from the beginning that there would be a lawn put in front of their building, and that they would only build one six-story apartment building. However, now they are planning to build three ten-story buildings.

Some of the residents tried talking to the workers on the site, but were beaten.

Since the city government could not stop the land developers from continuing with construction, the protesters plan to take the developers to court.

Just last week in Beijing there was an incident where a land developer sent his henchman to force a resident to vacate his home, but the resident in protest poured petroleum oil onto himself and the henchman, setting them both on fire.

Both sustained injuries, and were hospitalized.

Adapted from Audio Broadcast (RFA)