Authorities have shut down the Internet and deployed security forces in Linshui county, Sichuan province after protests over the decision for a high-speed rail line to skip over the town escalated into street battles between residents and police, The Financial Times reported. The demonstrators were angered when it was announced that the route would be running through nearby Guang’an, birthplace of former leader Deng Xiaoping, and complained that said town is already served by several rail lines despite having only half of Linshui’s population. Pictures and videos posted online showed peaceful protests preceding the bloodshed, with thousands of residents carrying signs proclaiming “We want development, prosperity and a railway.”