For the first time foreign bishop joins demonstrators in Thai Ha

Bishop Legrez’s presence helped reassure many protestors who had been taken aback by the heavy police operation with hundreds of officers in and around Thai Ha.

“I don’t think they [police] dare to attack us in front of a foreigner, especially a bishop,” a student told AsiaNews. “I feel safe and [can] concentrate better on my prayers,” she added.

In fact since early morning police had been deployed around the capital blocking thousands of faithful who were moving to Thai Ha from around the city and surrounding provinces.

In what was an obvious act of intimidation Major-General Nguyen Duc Nhanh, director of the Hanoi Police Agency, and many high ranking police officials were at the disputed site to direct police units involved in filming protesters.

Police had gone on high alert on Saturday when a demonstration suddenly took place in front of the former Nunciature compound.

The episode began on Saturday morning when 32 sisters of the Adorers of the Holy Cross congregation in Hanoi had taken their solemn, perpetual profession of vows at Hanoi’s St Joseph Cathedral.

After the Mass, priests led the faithful in a procession from the cathedral to the former nunciature where they had held daily protests until February 1 when the government promised to return the compound to the Church, something which it has not yet done.