Copts in the village of Bastra in Damanhour, who number over 500, were not permitted to have a church, so they decided to build a building, not to be used as a church, but as an event hall for their Christian community, as they had nowhere else to meet for wedding and funeral services.

Apparently, this was still too much for Muslim sensibilities.  Soon after the building was constructed, and without a word of warning, the city council sent demolition squads, supported by armed Central Security forces, to tear down the building, which stood atop a vast and empty field, on the pretext that it did not have the proper permits.

According to the report, the “simple Copts” of the village, who had worked hard to erect this building, instinctively rose to its defence and were brutally savaged for it.

Among other reprisals, security forces fired tear gas canisters into their midst, suffocating many.

In the end, four Christians, two of whom were female, were seriously injured: one woman suffered a broken jaw and another suffered multiple injuries to her head.  An additional twenty-one Christians were arrested and hauled off.

Source: Raymond Ibrahim