Police break up protest by parents of China earthquake victims

Chinese police broke up a demonstration today by angry parents protesting about the deaths of their children in poorly constructed schools during last month's earthquake.

About 100 parents, many holding pictures of their dead children, were forced away from a court in Dujiangyan in Sichuan province.

"Why?" some of them shouted. "Tell us something," they said as black-suited police wearing riot helmets manhandled them.

The parents had been kneeling in front of the court chanting: "We want to sue."

More than 270 students died when one high school collapsed in Juyuan, near Dujiangyan.

The break-up of the demonstration followed a report that the Chinese authorities had ordered journalists to tone down critical stories about the construction of so-called "tofu" school buildings.

In an attempt to head off criticism, the authorities ordered an inquiry into why 7,000 classrooms were destroyed in the 7.9 magnitude earthquake. Officials said anyone found guilty of shoddy construction would be severely punished.

In some areas, schools were the only buildings to collapse, fuelling suspicions there had been corruption and corners were cut in construction.

The Financial Times reported yesterday that a notice had been sent to media outlets ordering them to temper their criticism of the construction of public buildings.