The court in Zengcheng, where the riots took place, issued a verdict on Monday. Li Zhinghuang defendant given a maximum jail sentence of three and a half years for damaging three police vehicles. He was convicted of creating chaos and ruin. Four others convicted of similar offenses.
Earlier, thousands of migrant workers protested for several days in the apparel industry in the near Guangzhou City. They threw stones at police, burning vehicles, and looting of government buildings after clashes between hawkers and security guards. Traders who are pregnant reportedly pushed to the ground by the officer who ordered the removal of his stall.
But the workers, mostly from Sichuan Province and then against the government. Those who have long expressed dissatisfaction about the perceived corruption and abuse of power. Often low-paid migrant workers and strict supervision of China's domestic migrants make them do not have the same rights as urban residents where they work.
Garment industry is growing rapidly in Zengcheng. Population of the place, amounting to 800 thousand people surged in recent years due to the arrival of thousands of migrant workers. The violence is one of a number of riots that occurred in several places in China that triggered complaints of injustice and corruption.