About 100 men destroy church in Indonesia's Bekasi.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

Bekasi: Approximately 100 unidentified people damaged a place of worship at Blok B V/2 RT III/2 in the Griya Asri I housing estate at Desa Sumber Jaya Tambun on Sunday night (6 June).

Witnesses at the scene said the incident, which occurred in the middle of the settlement, proceeded for about one and a half hours and began at 2100 local time. No casualties were reported, yet the crowds caused serious damage to the place of worship owned by Father Simanungkalit (age 40), such that it could no longer be used.

A local resident who wished to conceal his identity said that at about 2030 local time the crowds suddenly arrived. They gathered at the front of the 8 metre by 6 metre house. "They gathered there first possibly to wait their friends," said the local resident on Monday (7 June).

Thirty minutes later the all male crowd approached the house left vacant by its owner. The majority of the crowd wielded sticks and clubs, while some carried iron [bars] one-metre in length and rocks.

Several of the men shouted and ordered the house be destroyed; some even ordered it be burnt down. In an instant, bricks were hurled into the windows and roof tiles. "I heard and spied on them. They were really frightening. They pelted the house continuously," the resident said.

Some of the crowd spread out and surrounded the house. Not long afterwards a group of men returned to the scene on foot. This group then directly interacted with the crowd in front of the house and also took part in the destruction.