Protesters clash with police in Macau

Police clashed with protesters in a May Day demonstration in the Chinese territory of Macau. Around 2000 protesters demonstrated against state corruption and lack of jobs for local workers, which they blame on the use of foreign labour. They were angry that workers, mainly from mainland China, are illegally entering the territory and taking underpaid jobs in Macau's lucrative casino industry.

"The government is rich, the casinos are rich, but nobody is looking out for the Macau people", one marcher told the AFP news agency. Protesters held signs calling for state officials to be stood down and for "employers of black market workers" to be punished.

Police lashed out with water cannons and pepper spray and fired live "warning" shots as protesters tried to diverge from the official route of the march.

From GLW issue 708