Farmer fires on eviction teams

A CHINESE farmer has declared war on property developers who want his land, building a cannon out of a wheelbarrow and pipes and firing rockets at would-be eviction teams.

Yang Youde, who lives on the outskirts of bustling Wuhan city, in central Hubei province, says he has fended off two eviction attempts with his improvised weapon, which uses ammunition made from locally sold fireworks.

“I shot only over their heads to frighten them,” he said of his attacks on demolition workers sent to move him off his land.

“I didn’t want to cause any injuries.”

The rockets can travel more than 100 metres, and exploded with a deafening bang, the official paper added. It did not say if anyone had been injured.

Anger over property confiscation is one of the leading causes of unrest in China.