BBC NEWS | Africa | SA police arrest 1,500 in church

SA police arrest 1,500 in church
By Peter Greste, BBC News, Johannesburg

Bishop Verryn said the raid was a violation of the church's sanctityPolice in Johannesburg have raided the city's Central Methodist Church, arresting around 1,500 homeless people and Zimbabwean refugees.
Dozens of police, some heavily armed, raided the church compound at around 2300 (0100 GMT), rounded up those there and took them away.
The police said they were looking for drugs, guns and illegal immigrants.
But Paul Verryn, the church's bishop, described the raid as a violation of the sanctity of the church.
'Violation of rights'
Bishop Verryn said he would have gladly co-operated with the police if they had asked for his help to search the building and check the papers of those inside.
But, he said, the way the police handled those they arrested during the raid was a clear violation of their rights.

Some of those detained had to be carried out of the church
It was, he added, an attack on the very institution of the Church.
As well as the 1,200 homeless and Zimbabwean refugees who usually sleep inside the church, there were some 500 more on the grounds outside.
By 0200 (0400 GMT), the last of the detainees were being herded into trucks and taken away for processing.
Stiffening attitude to refugees
Wednesday night's raid is the first time the police have targeted the Central Methodist Church, which is widely respected as a shelter for some of Johannesburg's most desperate people.
Until recently, the authorities had adopted a relatively tolerant approach to the hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans seeking refuge from the political and economic meltdown in their home country.
But as South Africa's own economy starts to strain, the government has begun to stiffen its attitude to refugees.
An estimated three million Zimbabweans are believed to be living in South Africa. ca SA police arrest 1,500 in church