Christians Protest 'Evil' Removal of Crosses From Churches

Chinese Christians are speaking out amid a heightened crackdown on the Christian faith throughout the Asian country as authorities in the Zhejiang province recently detained a pastor and five church employees.

Chinese Christians recently took to the streets in the southeastern city of Wenzhou to protest what they describe as a government crackdown of religious expression that has resulted in the removal of 1,200 crosses from Christian churches in the Zhejiang province.

The cross removal has resulted in an open letter from Catholic officials calling on the government to stop the "evil act" of attempting to silence religious expression.

Others recently gathered in front of the Lower Dafei Catholic Church in Zhejiang as government officials removed the church's cross.

"Doesn't the government give us the right to religious freedom? Why are they taking down our symbol without any explanation?" a parishioner reportedly questioned as the cross was removed, according to the Associated Press.

"We have violated no law. We do not oppose the government," the parishioner, identified as Chen, continued, adding "We have been good, law-abiding citizens."

Reports of the cross removal come as Pastor Bao Guohua, his wife and five church employees were arrested in Jinhua, also in Zhejiang, on charges of embezzlement and disrupting social order.

The pastor's lawyer tells BBC that the church leader and workers were actually arrested over a cross dispute, telling the media outlet: "I can tell you that if church leaders had agreed to take down the cross, there would have been no problem. But they refused. That's why they were detained."