A Christian activist and his brother were stopped by plain-clothes security officers in Beijing at 6am yesterday as they bicycled toward Kuanjie Protestant Church where US President George W. Bush was to worship later. Hua Huilin, 52, said he and his younger brother, Hua Huiqi, 46, were stopped and bundled into two different cars in Nanchizi Road next to the Forbidden City. 'They grabbed my brother's neck and pushed him into the car,' Hua Huilin said. Hua Huiqi, a 'house church' leader and activist in relation to forced evictions, was baptised in Kuanjie church in a quiet hutong in Beijing's East District in the early 1990s and had been a regular worshipper there for a couple of years, his brother said. But he had stopped attending because it had become a state-sanctioned institution, according to his friend, Xu Yonghai. 'He told me last night [Saturday] that he might go to Kuanjie because Bush would be there,' Mr Xu said. The brothers were taken to a construction site office and locked up in different rooms. Hua Huiqi said he was released at 2pm yesterday but his brother's whereabouts were still unknown last night. A wall of security surrounded the small Kuanjie church yesterday hours before a visit by Mr Bush and to ensure no 'unauthorised' Christians got near the area. The service was scheduled for 8am but mainland police began to seal off the area before 6.30am. Only church-goers who were given a red entrance 'ticket' - a red sheet printed with a service schedule - the day before, or who were promised one, could enter the church grounds. Even worshippers who had attended the church for years and those living in the area were turned away if they did not have the necessary documentation. Dozens of uniformed, plain-clothes and paramilitary police guarded the entrance area to the church. Mr Bush arrived in a heavily armoured motorcade of more than 50 vehicles. The service normally begins at 9am on Sunday but church-goers were told last week to be at the church yesterday before 7am. 'They could have organised things better,' said one prospective worshipper. 'Why didn't we know in advance that the plan had been changed? We didn't know they were handing out tickets the day before. 'Only those with close contacts in the church knew there was a meeting yesterday.' It was unclear on what basis the tickets were distributed. Those who attended the church service warmly welcomed Mr Bush, and he reciprocated enthusiastically, hugging some of the worshippers for group photos. Li Shiyong, 73, said he was glad to be able to pray with the American president and that he managed to take his son and granddaughter to the occasion. 'We are all Christians and I feel a sense of affinity with him,' Mr Li said.
