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China detains 100-plus people for doomsday rumors
AP /
December 17, 2012
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BEIJING (AP) — Chinese police have detained 101 people for spreading rumors of the world’s impending end.
The state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday that police confiscated leaflets, DVDs and other apocalyptic propaganda in the recent arrests in eight provinces across the country.
The detentions come ahead of Friday, Dec. 21 — a date some say the Mayans prophesied would be the end of the world and which was the subject of the apocalyptic movie ‘‘2012.’’
Nearly half those detained are reported to be members of the group Almighty God, which is also called Eastern Lightning. The group is regarded as a heretical Christian sect. It preaches that Jesus has reappeared as a woman in central China and has been accused of kidnapping and beating Christians to force conversions.
© Copyright 2013 Globe Newspaper Company.
