At least 60 people, including police and officials, were injured during the riots, according to a statement on the government website of Longnan city in Gansu province, where the violence occurred.

"Protesters used iron rods, chains, axes, hoes... to attack officials and policemen at close proximity," the statement said.

They also threw stones, bricks and flowers pots at the officials and police in front of the local government building, and attempted to hijack a fire truck that came to put out a blaze they started, according to the statement.

The government said the protest was triggered on Monday by about 30 people whose houses had been demolished to make way for a new government building, in an apparent typical "land grab" case that often leads to protests in China.

A receptionist at a Longnan hotel near the government headquarters said there were no demonstrations on Wednesday because of an extremely heavy security presence.

"But yesterday there were a lot of people. Police used tear gas to disperse them," she told AFP by phone.

"We're not far from the government building, and although we closed our door, the smell of gas still came into our hotel. I heard a lot of people were hurt."

China's official Xinhua news agency reported that the protest swelled to about 2,000 people on Tuesday.

But a local policeman, who asked not to be named, told AFP by phone that many thousands of people had joined the protest at its height on Tuesday.

"Yesterday the government brought in thousands of armed police who used tear gas and truncheons to disperse the crowds, and a lot of people were beaten," he said.

"Some people in the crowd threw stones, so both sides sustained injuries."

An amateur video posted on YouTube also showed what appeared to be a policeman beating someone with a long rod, while photos on the website of the Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper showed police lined up behind riot shields.

Xinhua said control was restored by Tuesday evening, after all the main streets and crossroads had been locked down and people dispersed.

A spokeswoman for the Communist Party in Longnan, surnamed Li, denied security forces used tear gas.

"No, that's not right, don't believe in rumours," she said on Wednesday when asked about those issues, then referred AFP to the government statement when asked for more information about the protest.

Demonstrations are common in China, often fuelled by government-backed land grabs or other types of abuse of power.

But as the global economic slowdown hits China and thousands of workers are laid off, the Communist Party is becoming increasingly concerned that any protest might escalate into broader unrest and form a challenge to its rule.

On Wednesday, the website of the People's Daily, the party's mouthpiece, published a comment piece blaming the local government for the riot, in an unusual move apparently aimed at placating the protesters.

The report pointed out that the protest had been triggered by a small number of people but had been allowed to escalate.

"Just over 30 people is not a lot, if the local government authorities had conscientiously received them, conscientiously listened to them, protected their personal interests, would the mass protest have happened afterwards?

"Therefore... the incident in Longnan has revealed that some local governments ignore people's interests, and that they look down on solving conflicts."

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