On Thursday September 4, 2014 in Mabu Township, Pingyang County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province two church crosses were forcibly demolished and more than 20 protesting worshippers were arrested.
On Wednesday September 3, 2014, the government sent hired thugs wearing “protest destruction of church cross” t-shirts to deceptively infiltrate a protest at a Christian church in Pingyang County. Once inside the church they blocked the entryway and stairway to the cross. After that more than 1,000 police arrived and surrounded the church and blocked traffic. There was a standoff with more than 100 worshippers until the morning of Thursday September 4. The cross was finally demolished and 20 worshippers were arrested.
The same morning at Chuiyang Church in Aojiang Township, Pingyang County three worshippers bound themselves to the church cross to prevent it being demolished. The government didn’t succeed in demolishing it but in the process of trying to injured many people before withdrawing.
According to netizens’ calculations, nearly 300 church crosses have been demolished in Zhejiang province this year.
