The Chinese government has been cracking down on previously government-approved churches since April, threatening to tear down their crosses and, for some churches, to destroy the entire church itself. The government had been citing "violations of zoning regulations," but reports show that they have been specifically targeting Christian institutions and symbols.
Most recently on Monday, officials used a blowtorch and crane to take down a 10-foot cross from Longgang Township Gratitude Church, according to a report from the Globe and Mail.
"We didn't want to get in a fight with them, but obviously what they did was illegal," the report quoted Qu Linuo. Linuo, a pastor from another nearby church, and many other believers held "an overnight vigil before the police arrived," the report further stated.
There have been multiple reports about many churches' crosses being taken down by the government. Wenling Church in Taizhou also had its crosses taken down on Friday. The congregants at this church, however, didn't give it up so easily. They had a standoff with almost 4,000 police officers to defend their crosses, but ultimately, the officials won over and had the crosses were removed, according the the Globe and Mail. Almost 40 people were detained during the conflict.
Lemon Huang, one of the congregants, told the Globe and Mail that the force that the officials used was "overwhelming and unnecessary."
"Some wore police uniforms, with helmets and shields, some wore plain clothes, and some wore red armbands"”just like the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution," he said.
Congregants of Salvation Church in Wenzhou didn't give up so easily either. Last Thursday, the congregants persistently defended the cross of their church, even as they shed blood because of beatings from government officials.
"Each night we have several dozen brothers staying in every one of these churches, guarding them," a man surnamed Chen told the New York Times.
"We will defend the cross to death," said another man also surnamed Chen in the same New York Times report.
On Monday, officials returned to Salvation Church, at which they found more than 300 Christians guarding the building. The resulting conflict led to more than 50 injuries, according to the report.
The most significant report of these recent crackdowns includes the destruction of Sanjiang Church in April. The church was considered a landmark of Wenzhou, a city which was often called "China's Jerusalem" because of the burgeoning of churches in the region. The Globe and Mail reported that the government destroyed the entire building on the basis that "the entire structure violated building codes."
