Authorities in northern China delayed the demolition of a large mosque on Saturday after thousands of people demonstrated to stop its destruction, local residents said, amid a nationwide government drive to tighten restrictions on religious activities.
Across China, officials have sought to limit religious freedoms for Muslims as part of a widespread attempt to bring believers in line with the dictates of the ruling Communist Party.
Protesters began gathering on Thursday ahead of a deadline to demolish the grand mosque in the town of Weizhou in the northern Ningxia region, locals said.
Chinese leaders have urged ‘Sinicisation’ of religious practice, bringing it in line with traditional values and culture
Videos posted on social media in recent days showed protesters gathering in front of the building as police with riot shields stood by
Holding Chinese flags, they sat quietly on the building’s steps and milled around a large plaza, before heading to Friday night prayers, according to the videos.
“The government said it’s an illegal building, but it’s not. The mosque has several hundred years of history,” a restaurant owner surnamed Ma said.
Around noon on Saturday, a local official had read a document, saying that the government would hold off on the mosque’s demolition.
After that, many who had participated in the sit-in dispersed.
