T

he congregation of HKBP Filadelfia was once again assaulted by a mob on Sunday morning while attempting to enter the half-built church in Jejalen Raya village in Bekasi, West Java — the second attack within a week.

“They threw mineral water in plastic cups, mud, rotten eggs and water from drainage ditches at us. Some of them were still harassing parishioners after the congregation had already dispersed,” HKBP Filadelfia Rev. Palti Panjaitan told The Jakarta Post.

He added that the plastic cups that were thrown by the crowd at around 9 a.m. also hit Bekasi Police chief Sr. Comr. Wahyu Hadiningrat and Bekasi Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) chief Agus Rismanto, whose subordinates members were there to provide security.

“Our lawyer [Judianto Simanjuntak] and some reporters were chased by members of the intolerant group after the group had scattered,” he said.

A similar incident took place on Thursday during the observance of the Day of Ascension of Jesus Christ.

On Thursday, a group of people threw urine, sewage and frogs at worshippers, all of which also hit the policemen protecting parishioners from the mob as they attempted to reach their place of worship to conduct services.

The parishioners managed to pray for only five minutes before being forced to leave.

The Bekasi regency sealed off the church in 2010 after local residents objected to its construction.

The Bandung State Administrative Court ruled in favor of HKBP Filadelfia, but the administration has yet to reopen the site.

Despite apparent opposition from local residents, the Filadelfia congregation claims it has secured the approval of local residents for the church’s construction.

The Tambun subdistrict office has advised the congregation to re-collect signatures after the Bekasi chapter of the Interreligious Harmony Forum alleged that the congregation had forged residents’ signatures to obtain a permit to build the church.

Under a 2006 joint ministerial decree, a house of worship can only be built if it has secured the approval of 90 worshipers and 60 local residents of different faiths. The congregation claims it had fulfilled the requirements and has denied forging any signatures.

The church is now expecting members of the presidential advisory council to mediate in the dispute and put to end their plight