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Police fire tear gas at Bekasi church protestors
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Hundreds of people with Muslim symbols stage protest against the construction of Santa Clara Catholic church in Bekasi, West Java, Aug. 10, 2015. (tribunnews.com/Dennis Destryawan)
P
olice have fired tear gas to disperse hard-line Muslims protesting against the construction of a Catholic church in Bekasi, West Java.
Several hundred protesters from a group called the Forum for Bekasi Muslim Friendship demonstrated in front of the Santa Clara Church in Kaliabang, Bekasi, after Friday prayers.
Witnesses said police fired tear gas as the protesters tried to force their way into the church, which has been under construction since November. Some also threw rocks and bottles into the 6,500-square-meter site.
Ismail Ibrahim, a cleric and organizer of the protest, said they would not disperse until authorities met their demand to cancel the church's construction permit.
