Clashes Erupt as China Attempts Mosque Demolition

Police clashed with protesters in southwestern China over the weekend as they tried to stop the demolition of a centuries-old mosque. The incident appeared to be related to a court judgment from 2020 that ruled some of the mosque’s most recent renovations were illegal and ordered demolition. The Chinese Communist Party has been expanding its effort to control religion, with a focus on Islam and Christianity, and has intensified surveillance of religious leaders. The crackdown has spread to Islamic communities across the country, including the Hui in Qinghai and Yunnan.