. >> reporter: authoties in th city are breaking into this church.hey said the compound win, and they arrested members of the congregation, then they take away the cross by force. we built the church, for instance, d where the cross stood remains bare. the church has been having a place of prayer, but with fear, things begun to change. local authorities ordered the church to remove the cross from the rooftop. they said it's violating building regulations. however, they elected the cross again, this time onhe ground, but even that was intolerable in the eyes of the officials. >> translator: we are heart broken, the cross itself. >> translator: nothing justifies their actions. the government is bullying us christians. >> reporter: the leader of the church's parrish, they launched a public petition with churches and members across the city. >> translator: we want to know why government officials are taking down crosses. we hope they'll listen to our voices. >> reporter: activists say about 1,000 churches in the region have either been demolished or have