During gospel masses, tensions are known to rise to high levels, and by all means, don’t disturb the people when they are in the midst of singing their praise to Jesus.
Also in South African Churches, this is very much the case.
A video circulating on social media platforms shows a congregation of “the Revelation Church of God” in Johannesburg, South Africa, attacking police officers who wanted to stop the service so that a member of the group could move his badly parked car before it would be towed away.
This was however not to the liking of churchgoers who went after the police officers en masse.
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As you can see the angry congregants approach the officer, who first fires several warning shots before he is punched to the ground.
The church has defended its members' actions, saying they were attacked in the first place: "Instead of police helping to remove squatters from our land they choose to attack church members with shootings & paper sprays"
The police officer is currently recovering in hospital.
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The spokesperson for the force, Ms Edna Mamonyane said the incident happened at around midday in Plein Street, where officers were executing their duties when the incident took place: “Officers found vehicles belonging to congregants of a church in that neighborhood parked in the road. There was a vehicle that blocked the street, causing traffic congestion.”
“As the breakdown truck towed the vehicle away, the officer was obviously busy issuing a fine first. All the congregants came out and started attacking him. The officer produced his firearm and fired a warning shot in the air for them to back off, but they still kept coming.”
“He never pointed the firearm directly at them. That’s when they attacked him. He fell to the ground, and they grabbed his firearm."
Source:
Lively spirits there in South Africa apparently.