October 19, 2006
Camera phones video destruction of a church in China
Sky News reports on an peaceful gathering in China to consecrate a church, cleared away brutally by the police followed by demolition of the building - all of which was captured on camera phone and handed over to Sky News. [via Smart Mobs]
"Last August, 3,000 Christians had gathered to consecrate the church they had saved up to build on the outskirts of Hangzhou, one of China's more prosperous town.
They were joined by more than 500 police and several hundred security guards and demolition teams with diggers. The police cleared away the crowds and the diggers tore the building down.
There were scuffles and witnesses say people were beaten up and others arrested, people whose only crime had been turning up to consecrate a church that was officially not recognised by the state.
This is normal practice for Chinese authorities and normally they get away with it unwitnessed by the outside world. But in this case the demolition was filmed on mobile phones and the footage was handed to Sky News."
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