In Yangyong Village, Dalang Township, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, hundreds of migrant workers recently protested against a new parking fee policy. Due to the scale of the protest and the public outcry, police were unable to forcibly disperse the protest, and the parking fee system was ultimately dismantled overnight. When contacted by reporters, the local village committee stated that parking fees had been canceled.
The incident erupted last Monday evening (June 2nd) and lasted until 11:00 PM. The village committee ultimately dismantled the parking fee system overnight and suspended the policy. According to multiple eyewitnesses, around 6:00 PM on June 2nd, some migrant workers parked their electric bikes and cars in front of the newly established parking lot to express their dissatisfaction with the fees. As discontent spread, more and more residents joined in, and by 8:00 PM, the crowd had reached two to three hundred.
A local fast food restaurant employee told this station, "I was delivering food when I came back and saw a crowd of people gathered at the intersection. Everyone said it was unreasonable to pay such a fee. Electric vehicles are also charged. We work hard every day for this little money. I make less than 4,000 yuan a month, and I have to pay rent and food every month. Now I have to pay parking fees. Suddenly, we have to pay 240 yuan a month. How can we afford it? This is too outrageous."
The village committee's "smart management" claim has failed to appease public anger
According to a notice posted by the Yangyong Village Committee on June 1st, starting that day, non-resident motorists will be charged a parking fee within the village: a monthly pass costs 240 yuan, temporary parking costs 3 yuan per hour, and daily parking costs 18 yuan. The committee claims this initiative is part of "smart parking management" aimed at improving traffic order and resource allocation within the village.
However, the policy has sparked a strong backlash among residents, who are mostly tenants from outside their area. Ms. Huang, a local domestic worker from Guangxi, told this station, "They installed the poles and charged fees without any prior notice. Many people make a living by riding electric scooters, and now they have to pay even to park their scooters outside their homes. People are reacting angrily, some even shouting during livestreams, 'Let the whole country see what migrant workers are up to.'"
A video posted yesterday by social media account X shows protesters chanting "Tear down the fences, return the road" and dismantling parking lot fencing and barriers. Videos from that night quickly went viral on platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou. The footage shows a large crowd surrounding the village committee and the toll booth, chanting slogans like "Return the money," "Tear it down," and "We want a way to live," drawing widespread attention online. One commenter noted, "The village committee is acting so recklessly because they know the migrant workers are unorganized and lack backdoors." However, some local villagers expressed support for toll collection, stating, "Illegal parking has been a serious problem in recent years, and the village should address it as necessary."
The police did not forcibly clear the area, and the village committee dismantled the facilities overnight.
Faced with the unexpected large-scale rally, local police dispatched a large number of officers to the scene around 8:00 PM that evening to provide security. However, they refrained from forcible clearance, prioritizing stability and persuading the crowd to leave. At 11:00 PM, under police coordination, several construction vehicles entered the scene to dismantle the newly installed toll gates, fences, and other facilities. During the demolition, the scene erupted in applause and cheers, creating a slightly heated atmosphere, but no major clashes occurred.
One villager, who wished to remain anonymous, said the fee was an attempt by the village committee to increase collective revenue: "To put it bluntly, it's about collecting money to increase the village committee's income. But their approach was so brutal, without any prior notice, that they simply demanded payment from everyone, leaving many people dissatisfied."
The reporter called the Yangyong Village Committee, where a female staff member confirmed the facility had been demolished, stating that the parking lot was built "to standardize management." She said, "Which village here doesn't have a paid parking lot? You can ask around. Our village has now demolished the parking lot, and the problem has been resolved."
However, Guangzhou lawyer Liu believes that the village committee's unauthorized establishment of checkpoints and collection of fees without authorization from higher-level governments may constitute "arbitrary collection" and exceed its statutory authority. He told this station, "Currently, most village collectives do not have the authority to collect fees, and selectively charging fees for migrant workers is particularly likely to intensify conflicts."
Mr. Chen, a scholar specializing in labor issues, said this incident exposed institutional shortcomings in the current grassroots governance model, particularly the lack of effective coordination mechanisms for handling conflicts of interest between migrant workers and local villagers. "The migrant worker community has long been neglected, with virtually no participation in policymaking, which in itself is a hidden danger."
In recent years, many rural areas in Guangdong have implemented a "village-enclosed" parking management model, installing fences, barriers, and charging fees for vehicles entering the village. While this "smart management" has boosted the village's collective economy, it has also sparked controversy.
Similar protests also occurred in Xintang Town, Zengcheng District, Guangzhou
In December 2024, Dadun Village in Xintang Town, Zengcheng District, Guangzhou, faced massive opposition to its proposed parking fee system. Villagers and tenants signed a joint petition opposing the plan, ultimately forcing the village committee to reverse the policy and restore access.
Online observers have commented that similar conflicts are becoming increasingly prominent in the Pearl River Delta's urban-rural fringe, characterized by frequent population mobility and a dense population of migrant workers. Without a participatory governance mechanism, this will only create further antagonism.
Separately, on the evening of June 8th, villagers from Dajingtou Village in Dalang Town again held a sit-in at the Dalang Town Government, demanding the return of a 360 million yuan project deposit. Their rights protection actions have been ongoing for two years. A video posted by the overseas X platform account "Yesterday" shows Dajingtou villagers sitting on both sides of the road, holding banners demanding the return of the project deposit. No local government intervention was observed at the scene.
