Thousands of residents of Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang province of China--most of them Han Chinese but also including some Uighurs working for the government-- took to the streets in different parts of the capital on September 3, 2009, to protest against the failure of the security authorities to stop mysterious attacks with hypodermic syringe needles on the back which have been taking place in different parts of the city since August 17, 2009, and arrest those responsible. Ultimately, the crowds dispersed when the local authorities appealed to them to go home.