"Scattered mobs of Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese roamed the streets and beat passers-by" today in Urumqi, the capital of China's Xinjiang region, the Associated Press writes.
As NPR's Anthony Kuhn reported from those streets today, he was surrounded by ethnic Han Chinese carrying "knives and swords and clubs and pipes and hammers" because — they say — they are afraid of being attacked by Uighurs. Anthony was briefly detained by Chinese authorities as he reported this story for Morning Edition:
Sunday, a peaceful demonstration by Uighurs who were protesting over an earlier deadly fight with Han Chinese at a factory turned into a riot. More than 150 people were reported to have been killed Sunday.
Today, the images from Urumqi are stirring:
A large group of Han Chinese carrying sticks, shovels and other weapons.
A Chinese police officer has his gun at the ready. Police fired tear gas to disperse the Han Chinese rioters.
Chinese riot police watch a Uighur woman as she protests.
A Uighur woman cries during one of the protests today.
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