Traffic resumes in east China after furniture dealers' protest on highway

NANCHANG, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Traffic on the expressway in east China's Jiangxi province resumed on Monday night after hundreds of furniture makers and dealers blocked the road to protest over a proposed tax crackdown, said local police.

Most of the protesters have left by 11:45 p.m., and order was restored in the Nankang section of 105 national high way and the expressway linking the northeastern Heilongjiang province and the southern Guangdong province.

According to an unnamed official with the provincial government, cause of the incident was the new tax rule which was to take effect on Monday, as the city planned to tighten up tax enforcement on furniture makers and dealers.

"Protesters believed it increased their burden," he said.

Hundreds of furniture makers and dealers gathered along the road in the Nankang city, which was four hours drives from the provincial capital Nanchang, cutting traffic and smashing and overturning at least nine police cars at about 10 a.m..

Also, nearly 100 dealers went to the city government building to complain about the rule.