Sad scenes like this are being played out all over China as the demands of modernization and opportunists clash with the lives of poor chinese farmers like brave Yang Youde.
Yang Youde is a farmer who had contracted to rent 25 mu of land.  The lease was set to continue until 2019.  Over the years, Yang has been raising fish, cattle, cotton, melons and fruits on the land.
Last year, Yang Youde learned that his land had been requisitioned.  Since the compensation terms for breaking the contract had not been settled, he has refused to move out.
“The evictors said many times that they will move on me.”  Earlier this year, Yang took measures to protect himself.  He took a hand-truck and removed the front.  Then he put in a set of rockets for use as an artillery battery.
On February 26 this year, a team of more than 30 evictors approached his site ready to demolish his house by force.  “At the time, I set off the rockets.  They hid behind the bulldozer.  After the rockets were all fired off, they came out and administered a thrashing on Yang.   But they did not bulldoze the house immediately.  Instead, they only said that they will come back and finish the job.  Afterwards, Yang upgraded his defense by building an “cannon tower” with help from friends and relatives.
Continue reading about Farmer Yang Youde’s battle with forced evictions teams here….