BEIJING--The police arrested dozens of members of an underground Protestant Church Sunday after the Congregation tried to pray in a public square in the North of the capital.
The raid on the Church, which sought to pray outside after he was expelled from its building under pressure from the Government, was part of a broad crackdown on dissent in the past seven weeks. The campaign led to the imprisonment of scores of lawyers, writers and rights activists, and the repression of unauthorized worship.
Authorities also have a less obvious threats, cancellation of events also various the Saint Patrick's day parades and debate this weekend collegiate tournament.
The Protestant Church, Shouwang, was expelled last week from space that he rented after the landlord do step to renew pressure on the Government lease. The Congregation, whose 1,000 members are one of the largest churches not registered in China, sought legal recognition since 2006.
According to members of the Church, the pastor, the Reverend Tianming Jin and other church leaders were blocked by police to leave their homes Sunday. Dozens of members of the Church were seized as they emerged from the Metro station Zhongguangcun Plaza, a popular shopping area where the services were to take place.
By 8 o'clock in the morning, hundreds of police officers, two police officers in uniform and dress, invading the region. They interviewed the bystanders and grouping members of the Church on bus, dragging and shoving those who refuse to go.
At one point given, a group of police kicked and beat a group of four young people. As one of the buses is identified, the Congregation withdrew a prayer sheet and begins to sing.
A man who answered the phone at the Haidian police station, several blocks from the site of the planned service of prayer, declined to answer questions about the detentions. Most of those arrested Sunday have been brought to a nearby primary school, where they were briefly questioned and photographed. Among those detained was a photographer from the New York Times, which came out later.
After years of tolerance by the religious authorities churches not registered, called House Churches, have faced pressure to dissolve or to accede to the system of State-controlled congregations. The Government first forced Shouwang, meaning watchtower, out of his rented in 2008. In 2009, the church paid 4.1 million for a floor, in an office building but the owner, under pressure from the authorities, has refused to hand over the keys. Until last week, the Church had gathered in a restaurant.
The Church has not hidden its plans to gather outside, announcing the service on the Internet. In his last sermon last week, Mr. Jin warned his flock that they would probably meet resistance. "At this time, the challenges are enormous," he said. "For all that we met, we offer our thanks to God." "Compared to what you face on the cross, that we face today is really negligible."
Cancelled debate tournament was to have drawn students from 16 universities at the Institute of technology in Beijing, where they were to have ropin' on the theme of the Chinese revolution of 1911. The revolution against the Qing dynasty, a reputation that helped cement Sun Yatsen as the founding father of modern China, may not seem controversial at first glance.
But organizers can courted disorder by urging students to recognize, as the site Web of the tournament, only "" victory revolutionary source of inspiration, but what is hidden more deep below: the awakening of the consciousness of the people of the country and to the dissemination of the system of democracy. ""
Web site also encourages students to "think more deep of nationalism, democracy and livelihood, to continue to open new trails in a pioneering spirit, will keep fighting for the renovation and development of the nation".
Zhang Ming, a judge for the competition and a Professor of political science at the Renmin University in Beijing, said the municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League ordered the organizers to cancel the event Friday night, a day before the opening debate.
"Everyone was very disappointed", Mr Zhang said in a telephone interview Sunday. "It's really hate for them to do so." Organizers said they were trying to negotiate with the Committee, but they could not interfere with the decision. ?
Xiyun Yang contributed reporting.
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