Thousands of people demonstrating over fears of pollution from a sewage pipeline at a paper factory in east China clashed with police Saturday, the latest in a series of environmental protests.

The protestors overturned two cars and ransacked local government offices in the coastal city of Qidong, near Shanghai, an AFP photographer said.

Demonstrators seized bottles of liquor and wine from the offices along with cartons of cigarettes, items which Chinese officials frequently receive as bribes, according to messages on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter-like service.

Thousands of people had gathered in a square in front of the government offices and in adjacent streets Saturday morning, with armed police arriving at the scene at 9:00 am, AFP witnessed.