URUMQI, Sept.3 (Xinhua) -- Crowds gathered at a number of sites in downtown Urumqi Thursday to protest against hypodermic syringe attacks in the capital city of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and demanded security guarantees from authorities.

    The protest, attended by tens of thousands of people, crippled city traffic and forced shops in major commercial streets to shut.

    The government of Urumqi put traffic controls in place on major roads in downtown areas Thursday evening. Starting at 9 p.m. passage in areas including Youhao Road, Guangming Road and Renmin Square was not allowed for any vehicle.

Wang Lequan (1st R), secretary of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Committee of the Communist Party of China, speaks to crowds in Urumqi, capital city of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sep. 3, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge) Photo Gallery>>>

    Wang Lequan, secretary of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and Li Zhi, secretary of the CPC Urumqi City Committee, called on the crowds, on two separate occasions, to stay calm and show restraint.

    Wang and five representatives of the public held talks in the office building of the regional committee during the afternoon, but no details were available.

Li Zhi, secretary of the Communist Party of China Urumqi City Committee, speaks to crowds in Urumqi, capital city of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sep. 3, 2009. Crowds gathered at a number of sites in Urumqi Thursday morning demanding security guarantees from authorities following hypodermic syringe attacks in the capital city of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge) Photo Gallery>>>

    Police said Thursday's protest started at 10:50 a.m. when more than 1,000 people gathered in the residential quarter of Xiaoximen. Another crowd of protestors gathered at the Beiyuanchun farmers' produce wholesale market at 10:30 when a man was caught after allegedly stabbing a five-year-old girl.

    The demonstration spread to major streets including Guangming Road, Xinmin Road and Youhao Road. People also turned out in big crowds in front of the Renmin Cinema and at the Renmin Square.

People gather at the Nanhu Square in Urumqi, capital city of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sep. 3, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge) Photo Gallery>>>

    Protestors held the national flag and the flag of the Communist Party of China and shouted "Severely punish the mob." Members of the Uygur ethnic minority were among the protesting crowds.

    Protestors moved to the Xinjiang International Exhibition Center where the ongoing 18th Urumqi Trade Fair is being held. Staff working at the center were taken to places of safety.

    Stabbing attacks occurred during the protests and an attacker was caught at the scene. The police stopped the crowd who were about to beat her.

    Police said that attacks with syringes against innocent people have been carried out in Urumqi since Aug. 17. The regional health department said 476 people have sought treatment for stabbing, of whom 89 were showing obvious signs of needle sites. At Sept. 2, there had been no deaths reported and no symptoms have been found of infectious disease viruses or toxic chemicals.

    Parents are worried about the safety of their children now the Fall semester has started.

    Zhu Hailun, head of the political and legal affairs commission of the CPC committee in Xinjiang, said members of nine ethnic groups including Han, Uygur, Hui, Kazak and Mongolian had reported stabbing incidents to the police in recent days.

    Local police had seized 21 suspects, of whom six are in police custody and four arrested for criminal prosecution, said the regional information office in a mobile phone text messages to the public on Thursday.

    It also said that the court would hand down severe punishments to those found guilty according to the law.

    The attacks come less than two months after the July 5 Urumqi riot when 197 people, mostly Han Chinese, were killed, and 1,600 others injured.

    Authorities have issued arrest warrants to 196 suspects and prosecuted 51 for involvement in the riot, the regional government information office said in a statement on Thursday. The police have further requested the procuratorate approve the arrest of another 239 suspects thought to be involved in 140 crimes. Another825 are being held in criminal detention, the regional information office said.  

Special Report: Urumqi Riot