Hundreds of people in Haining, a city in eastern Zhejiang province, protested this weekend over pollution they blame on a local solar panel factory, the Wall Street Journal reported. Police detained several demonstrators for theft and vandalism after more than 500 people gathered outside the Zhejiang Jinko Solar (JKS.NYSE) factory. Villagers complained of a large number of fish deaths in a nearby river. A local environmental bureau official admitted that the factory had failed pollution tests since April, and conceded that local government did not act swiftly enough. Chinese citizens are becoming increasingly bold in addressing widespread environmental abuses. Shanghai authorities halted production at two factories on Friday – one operated by Johnson Controls (JCI.NYSE) – following reports of elevated lead levels in local children. In August, over 12,000 people protested in Dalian over the possibility of a toxic spill due to a tropical storm at a petrochemical plant. The city government subsequently promised to close the plant.