American Reverend Arrested for Peaceful Prayer Outside Chinese Embassy

Written by Rev. Pat Mahoney

As the morning began, I had no idea I would end up being handcuffed, arrested by the United States Secret Service, and end up sitting in the back of a Secret Service vehicle with bars on the windows and Chinese diplomats staring at me with a look of victory on their faces.

It was not supposed to be this way.

When Chinese President Xi arrived in Washington, DC a week earlier, it was deeply troubling to see the United States “roll out the red carpet” and have a State Dinner for him at the White House.

Having worked for human rights and freedom in China for over 40 years, it was hard to see our nation honoring someone who has oppressed, brutalized and persecuted China’s people and their basic human rights.

On Thursday, September 24th, we went to peacefully demonstrate and pray on the public sidewalk in front of the Chinese Embassy, which we had done dozens of times before. To our surprise the entire street leading up to the Embassy was blocked and barricaded by the Secret Service–something we had never seen before.

On Monday, we were determined to go back to the Chinese Embassy, not to honor a brutal Communist Dictator, but to honor and pray for people and groups who were being oppressed and crushed by his regime. 

We rolled out our “Red Carpet” on the public sidewalk in front of the Chinese Embassy and placed the names of people and groups on it who the United States government should have honored. People like Pastor Cho. Jimmy Lai. Ventus Lau. Zion Church leaders. Uyghurs. Tibetans. Christians. Buddhists and so many more.

However, after we were there for several minutes, more and more Secret Service cars and agents began arriving. Chinese officials came out of the Embassy looking angry and agitated. We quietly began to pray and after the lead Secret Service agent finished talking with diplomats in the Embassy he walked over to us.

He looked directly at me and said Chinese officials stated the entire sidewalk was the property of China and if I didn’t leave I would be arrested. The Secret Service agent then asked me - would I leave?

I told the agent I would not abandon the principles of the 1st Amendment which afforded every American the right to peacefully demonstrate and pray in the public square and that I would not leave.

I then said I would not abandon the people and groups whose names were on the red carpet with many suffering in prison and others being oppressed and brutalized. I also told the agent some of these people I knew personally.

After it was clear I would not leave, I was immediately handcuffed, put in the back of his car, and taken to jail.

I am still trying to process the events of that day, but two things stand out for me. First, I could never surrender my God-given rights to peacefully demonstrate and pray on a public sidewalk in America. I often say, “If we want to protect the 1st Amendment and religious freedom in the public square, we must practice the 1st Amendment and religious freedom in the public square.”

Next, we must answer this critical question: Why did the United States government arrest an American minister for peacefully praying on a public sidewalk in response to the demands of the Chinese communist government? How could something like this even happen in our beautiful country?

We must embrace and follow the words of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Holocaust Survivor, Elie Wiesel, as he said: “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

Our message must be clear. We must never be silent. We must never surrender and we must never be bullied or intimidated into surrender. On with the revolution for freedom!