The device shown in this picture looks remarkably like a very crude version of a World War II German Nebelswerfer – a small, multiple-tube rocket launcher. And guess what? That’s what it is. It was constructed by a Chinese farmer named Yang Yude who doesn’t fancy the idea of having his land taken for what we would call economic redevelopment, so he has taken to firing rockets from this contraption over the heads of the government/developer representatives who came to take possession of his land after offering him $19,500 which he contends to be way too low. Hmm. Where have we heard that one before?
So far, no casualties, but the developers called the cops who — guess what? — took Yang’s side and protected him from the would-be takers.
And here is a picture of Yang in action.
Chinese farmer Yang Youde fires his homemade cannon near his farmland on the outskirts of Wuhan, Hubei province June 6, 2010. Yang’s cannon, which is made out of a wheelbarrow, pipes and firing rockets, is used to defend his fields against property More…
Credit: REUTERS/Stringer
For the Reuters story about Yang and his rockets’ red glare go to http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6570QY20100608
On a serious note, what this reminds us of is that people are territorial creatures who don’t take kindly to being pushed off their turf.