This from the Atlanta-Journal-Constitution: "Sporadic protests in China over the past week became larger and at times violent and spread to at least two dozen cities over the weekend. Protesters torched a Panasonic factory and Toyota dealership in the eastern port of Qingdao, looted a Heiwado Co. department store in the southern city of Changsha and ransacked Japanese supermarkets in several cities. Though larger numbers of police imposed more order on demonstrations Sunday, they fired tear gas to subdue rowdy protesters in the southern city of Shenzhen. In nearby Guangzhou city, protesters broke into a hotel that was next to the Japanese Consulate and damaged a Japanese restaurant inside."
Shenzhen is the city where Abigail's orphanage is, and the hotel they are talking about is the Garden Hotel where lots of adoptive parents stay. In fact, someone from the forum reported in from there. Its a scary place right now.
Associated Press photo taken in Shenzhen
From Yahoo News "Security forces wearing helmets
and carrying shields fired tear gas into crowds of people in Shenzhen
city in southern Guangdong province. Some protesters picked up smoking
tear gas canisters and hurled them back in the direction of the security
forces. Protesters also overturned a police vehicle and smashed its
window. No one was reported injured.
Over
10,000 people marched in the provincial capital, Guangzhou, the
state-run Xinhua News Agency said. Its Guangzhou office reported a small
number of protesters broke into a hotel next to the Japanese Consulate
and smashed windows and a Japanese restaurant, and that police detained
several people for damaging property. Police in Guangzhou were asking
the public to use their camera phones to record people smashing property
and offer the evidence to police, Xinhua said."
Guangzhou is where ALL of the adoptive parents have to go through towards the end of their trip since that is where the American Consulate is. There were riots in Shanghai also, which is where Jack lives. But the reports of those aren't as severe.
All the ruckus seems to be over control of some East China Sea islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Both claim ownership, but of course, that isn't going to work!
According to USA Today "The demonstrations came before the anniversary Tuesday of the 1931
Mukden Incident which often triggers anti-Japanese sentiment. The
incident was used as a pretext by Japan to invade northern China, and
activists have called for more demonstrations Tuesday."
I am thinking since the vandalism and violence seem to be against Japanese businesses within the country, they aren't likely to attack an orphanage, so I'm not super concerned about Abigail's immediate safety. What does concern me is what this might all potentially mean to the thousands of orphaned children in China who are counting primarily on the western world to help them. I've read speculations of the US and its responsibility towards their political ally in this situation. I'm praying this doesn't shut down the adoptions and leave these children stranded.
However you feel about the political situation, please remember to pray for the innocents there, especially the children and their adoptive parents - that this conflict won't cause danger to them or to the placement of their children.
