Beijing, China, Aug 7, 2008 / 18:31 pm
As the opening of the Olympic Games nears, three Christian activists protesting on behalf of religious freedom and human rights were dragged from Tiananmen Square and detained in Beijing on Thursday, marking the second incident in which the group was detained.
According to the Associated Press, Patrick Mahoney, director of the Washington DC-based Christian Defense Coalition, and Brinda Swindell and Michael McMonagle from Generation Life in Idaho attempted to stage a news conference and prayer vigil outside the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall.
Speaking to a small crowd of foreign media, Mahoney said: “We have come here today to speak out against the human rights abuses of the Chinese government. We have come here today to be a voice to those who are in prison because of their religious beliefs.”
Plainclothes security officials reportedly forced the protesters off the square, holding up hands and umbrellas to prevent the incident from being filmed.