SHANGHAI, Apr 16 -- OVERSEAS Chinese in Milan are applying permission to hold a protest meeting which will demand an apology from local police who man-handled a Chinese woman last Thursday, provoking a mass demonstration in which Chinese and riot police were injured.

The China News Service, today quoted a European Chinese-language newspaper as saying, that the local Chinese were also demanding that the Milan government not pass policies that would discriminate against Chinese.

However, local residents in Milan are scheduled to hold a protest tonight against Chinese merchants' business practices which has turned a Milan market into a purely wholesale area.

The disturbance last Thursday began after police gave the Chinese woman, Bu Luowei, a 74-euro (US$100) fine for loading goods from her car in the busy Chinatown area of Milan and tried to confiscate her car document.

Milan authorities passed a policy two months ago banning the loading or unloading of goods outside permitted hours or with unauthorized vehicles, including hand trolleys.

Bu paid the fine but begged the police not to take away the car document, because she needed it to drive children to school.

When she asked a policeman to give back the car document, he ignored her, turned his back on her and began insulting Chinese people with a colleague, Bu told an Italy-based Chinese-language newspaper.

She began arguing with them but the police pushed her and wanted to detain her and her daughter, which aroused the anger of local Chinese.

Hundreds of Chinese merchants staged an unscheduled protest in the market area from 11am, and a clash broke out when riot police were called in to stop the unscheduled meeting.

More than 10 overseas Chinese were slightly injured, five of whom were discharged from hospital after treatment. Seven police officers were also injured in the clash.

The Chinese Consul General in Milan Zhang Limin rushed to the scene to placate the Chinese and is arranging a meeting with Milan Mayor Letizia Moratti, who is reportedly in Rome right now.

The police have released Bu but will accuse her of insulting a civil servant and injuring police officers.

Zhang said the protest was not only due to the car fine but the culmination of a series if disputes.

Tension between the Chinese merchants and local police has been mounting after the authorities issued the policy banning the loading and unloading of cars two months ago.

"They confiscate hand trolleys and even the boxes we are carrying if we put them down on the ground. And this is when for years they have been issuing us with licenses that were properly obtained and are still valid," one local Chinese said.

However, residents complained that Chinese merchants' business methods had turned the area into a wholesale market and caused traffic jams.

"We cannot tolerate no-go zones and the rules have to apply to everyone," Mayor Letizia Moratti said later.

China has called on Italy to ensure a fair resolution to the clash.

"China has made representations to the Italian side," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement on Friday.

"We hope the Italian side will resolve the situation in a spirit of fairness and equity, give serious considerations to the reasonable demands of the overseas Chinese and protect their legitimate rights," Qin said.