Fom memory the year before last there were 88,000 protests with 10 or more people.
I think Lotus Eater has got the number about right. After an official report in 2004 that there were over 74,000 protests the government has been trying to reduce the number. If there has been a decrease in the number it is because local governments now under-report the number of incidents to show Beijing they are doing a good job.
There have been a number of protests in Zhaoqing(Guangdong) in the last 2 years. They seem to be mainly older people who are demanding an increase in social welfare assistance, or farmers asking the government to hand over the money that was offered to them when their land was confiscated on behalf of property developers.
Last year protesters gathered outside the local govt office every day about 5 days. They were kept in line by a special police contingent (outfitted in riot squad gear) that travelled down from Guangzhou every morning.
Everyone kept to the script - turned up at the same time every day, took up respective positions and stood around until it was time to go home. The police were very low key a and quite realaxed but every so often led someone away from the lines. I had my photos removed from my digital camera by 2 members of the 'Ministry of Information.'
Taxi drivers in south China seem to be leading the way in a new wave of protests. This week in Zhaoqing there have been reports of angry confrontations between 2 groups of drivers. This is the outcome of an overnight doubling in the number of taxis - and consequent reduction in the income of the incumbent drivers. As the taxi drivers are usually recent immigrants from other provinces there is an added edge to the 'dialogue.'
With so many dialects involved, including Guangdong putonghua which northeners have trouble comprehending, I wonder if they can understand each other. Maybe the fist will soon become mightier than the tongue.