Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, was Arrested on Monday, September 28
(Watch video of the arrest here)
WASHINGTON — Narrative of the arrest:
Rev. Mahoney brought a red carpet to the Chinese Embassy and laid it on the public sidewalk. On the carpet, were the names of people and groups who are being oppressed and persecuted by the Chinese government. It included: Pastor Cho, Jimmy Lai, Hong Kongers, Zion Church Pastors among many others. The purpose was to peacefully honor, pray and stand in solidarity with those who are being oppressed.
Chinese officials, who were very angry about the prayer and public witness, talked to the Secret Service and told them the public sidewalk was actually their property and said to arrest Rev. Mahoney if he didn’t leave. Rev. Mahoney told the Secret Service he had peacefully demonstrated and prayed on the public sidewalk dozens of times and had never been arrested before.
Rev. Mahoney said he could not abandon his 1st Amendment rights, or those being persecuted in China, and would not leave the public sidewalk. The Secret Service refused to listen and Rev. Mahoney was arrested based on the demands of the Chinese government.
It is shocking the United States Secret Service arrested a minster for praying on a public sidewalk based on the demands of the Chinese Government.
Rev. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, comments:
“It is shocking and troubling to be arrested by my own government for peacefully praying and demonstrating on a public sidewalk based on the demands of the Chinese government.
“One would expect to be treated like this in China where there is no so such thing as free speech, the 1st Amendment or religious freedom. However, it is quite another thing to see the government of the United States trample and crush free speech here in America. It is the worst possible message we could send to China’s leaders and the world.
“I retained the legal counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice and am reaching out the Director of the Secret Service and the Attorney General to find out how this arrest happened and to ensure something like this never happens to another American citizen again. We can never be silent or indifferent when it comes to protecting our 1st Amendment rights.”
Rev. Patrick Mahoney has been an outspoken critic of the human rights abuses in China for over 40 years. In 2008, he was involved in an effort to boycott the Beijing Summer Olympics and was arrested in Tiananmen Square during the Olympics, speaking out for human rights. He and two other activists were threatened with six months in prison. Rev. Mahoney also worked with Hong Kong student democracy leaders during the massive protests there in 2019. He is currently banned from China.
