At around 4:15am on December 29, 2010 in Yangpu District, Shanghai, resident Liuhao Wu and his neighbors used bricks, powerful firecrackers and gasoline-filled bottles to repel local government authorities, developers and several hundred migrant workers, who came to demolish their four-storey apartment building.

The property is a 60-year-old privately-owned residence and, according to Mr. Wu, the compensation offered is far from enough to buy property nearby. The residents fought to protect their rights to private property and to resist the forced demolition.

Prior to the incident, local authorities had cut the power and phone lines to the area, hoping to prevent locals from spreading news of the forced demolition.

Crouching in a dark location, Mr. Wu's neighbor risked his life to capture the entire incident on video.

As tensions escalated, Mr. Wu hung a huge banner outside his home saying "If this building is here the people are here, if the building is destroyed the people perish." He soaked the building with gasoline, suggesting if any of developers, officials, or their migrant workers attempted to enter their building to demolish it, he would set it alight.

Just after 5am, the government authorities and developers retreated. Some of the residents suffered injuries during the clash, and their building was severely damaged.