The protesters smashed windows of the party building and nearby cars in Longnan city, Gansu province, in a dispute over the forced demolition of homes and eviction of tenants, Xinhua news agency reported.

About 30 people protesting the eviction plans gathered at the party headquarters Monday morning but the crowd swelled to about 2,000 throughout the day and into the evening, it said.

Xinhua gave few other details but an Internet posting from someone claiming to be a Longnan resident said the crowd was dispersed early on Tuesday morning after police were called in.

The official state media did not offer further details on the dispute, but government-backed land grabs, often in collusion with developers, have become one of China's most sensitive social issues.

According to the Internet posting, locals in Longnan were refusing to relocate to make way for a new government building that was being partially funded by earthquake relief funds from a recent quake that hit southwest China.

Gansu neighbours Sichuan province, which was at the epicentre of the May 12 earthquake that left up to 88,000 people dead or missing.

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