Thousands of protesters attacked police officers

On 7 November 2008 thousands of protesters attacked police officers in the southern city of Shenzhen. The violence was prompted by the death of a motorcyclist at a police checkpoint earlier in the day. The motorcyclist drove through the checkpoint without stopping, and a police officer threw a phone at him, which caused the driver to crash. Protesters threw rocks at police officers, and one police car was set on fire. The protest lasted until the early morning hours of 8 November. No injuries were reported, and the crowd eventually dispersed.