Reverend Patrick Mahoney staged a peaceful protest outside the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., laying out a red carpet bearing the names of those persecuted by the Chinese government.



Reverend Patrick Mahoney’s heart has been broken for the persecuted saints in China. Shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to China following his meeting with President Trump in the U.S. about a week ago, Mahoney began his peaceful protest in front of the U.S. Chinese Embassy.

Red Carpet of Remembrance and Solidarity
Mahoney laid out a red carpet in front of the Chinese Embassy, which bore the names of people and groups the Chinese government has been persecuting. Some of the names included were Zion Church Pastors, Pastor Cho, Jimmy Lai, Hong Kongers and many others.

Mahoney simply wanted to honor, pray for and stand in solidarity with those whom China is persecuting. However, Chinese officials apparently became convicted and asked the secret police to arrest Mahoney, claiming he was on their property. Mahoney refused to leave, claiming that the sidewalk is public property, but the secret police arrested him, according to the Christian Newswire.

Video of Mahoney's arrest was captured on video and has been posted on Facebook. As his arrest is underway, Mahoney addresses the camera, narrating what is happening, with one officer cuffing him as a second police officer stands off to the right and looks on as Mahoney is apprehended.

"I'm being arrested on a public sidewalk in front of the Chinese embassy," he says in the clip. "I have been here dozens of times. It is tragic that I'm being treated like a Chinese citizen. This is a sad day in America, when an American citizen, a clergyman, who's praying on a public sidewalk in America, is arrested for celebrating the First Amendment."

Ironically, Zion Church founder Ezra Jin was released from prison three months ago due to President Trump’s intervention and persuasion of Xi, according to Christian Daily. However, over 150 pastors and church leaders are still imprisoned in China, several of whom were also pastors at Zion Church.

Topic of Religious Persecution Apparently Avoided
So when Xi agreed to meet with Trump in the United States, there were religious persecution advocates who were hopeful that Trump would speak out about the many imprisoned Christians in China, according to CBN. However, the two were much more focused on tariffs, AI and China’s sluggish economy, according to NPR.

“I’m disappointed,” Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs told CBN. “I had hoped that the topic would come up.”

Nettleton went on to note that he believes religious persecution and religious freedom need to be part of every agenda and discussion when world leaders come together. He pointed out that the secret police raid and shut down churches, trying to force cameras inside sanctuaries to make a record of who’s there, what’s happening and what’s being said.

“We want to encourage people to pray, and that's what persecuted Christians ask us to do. I also think as American citizens, we want to let our leaders know this is something we care about,” said Nettleton.

Mahoney ‘Shocked and Troubled’ About Arrest in U.S. for Peacefully Praying
“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,” Mahoney told the Christian Newswire.

“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,” he said.

Mahoney has enlisted the American Center for Law and Justice to fight for his freedom.

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