Chinese police clamp down on chemical plant protests

Demonstrators set fire to trash cans, as they protest against a chemical plant project, on a street in Maoming, Guangdong province, early April 1, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer

BEIJING (Reuters) - Police in China are briskly dispersing a wave of protests against a chemical plant in the country's south, activists said on Friday, as demonstrators prepared to hold more rallies over the weekend.

The protests began last Sunday in the city of Maoming, where officials plan to build a chemical plant to make paraxylene, a petrochemical used to make plastic bottles and fabrics, but which can be toxic if ingested.