Roman Catholics in a town in eastern France were able to attend mass in their cars on Sunday (May 17), in the country's first drive-in religious service since the start of a lockdown eight weeks ago aimed at halting the spread of the Coronavirus.

French Catholics celebrate mass in parking lot

Tens of thousands of Poles took part in a far-right march in the capital Warsaw on Monday to mark Polish independence, an annual event that has become a focus of friction between nationalists and liberals.

Some chanted "God, honour, homeland!" and "No to the European Union!" and waved red-and-white Polish flags. Others lit red flares, blanketing sections of the parade with smoke.

"We have to return to our roots. Our world has abandoned God and Christianity," Robert Bakiewicz, head of a group organising the march, told participants in central Warsaw. "We will die as the nations of western Europe are dying."

A small group of hardline Italian far-right group Forza Nuova members also took part, waving flags.

Poland has become increasingly polarised since the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party came to power in 2015, calling for a revival of patriotic and Roman Catholic values in public life and a rejection of Western liberalism.

Critics say PiS, which won a second term last month with 44 per cent&nbsp;of the vote, has tacitly encouraged groups with roots in the fascist and anti-Semitic movements of the 1930s that organised the march, although the party denies this.

Last year, on the centenary of Polish independence, government officials and President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the PiS, agreed to hold a joint event with the annual march organisers, but walked at a distance, away from any overt displays of nationalism.

This year, PiS held its own, separate events.

"Our nation has a mission and it has to fulfil it," PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on Sunday. "Our mission is to sustain everything that's a foundation of our Christian civilisation.

"We will walk this path, and if it's done in a thoughtful way, it will bring us to victory."

On November&nbsp;11, Poles commemorate the establishment in 1918 of the second Polish Republic, created after World War One from parts of what was then Russia, Germany and Austria.

Two years ago, the march was dotted with racist banners, some of them reading "Pure blood, clear mind" or "Europe will be white or uninhabited".

Before PiS came to power, scuffles between participants and police were not uncommon, but in recent years, more families with children have joined.

On Monday, some wore stickers saying "Stop 447", in a protest against a US&nbsp;law on the restitution of Jewish property seized during or after World War Two, an issue increasingly featuring in public debate in Poland.

The US&nbsp;Department of State is expected to provide a nonbinding report to Congress later this year on property restitution, under legislation known as the Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act, or Act 447.

Poland was home to one of the world's biggest Jewish communities before it was almost entirely wiped out by Nazi German occupiers who set up death camps such as Auschwitz on Polish soil.

Another far-right march, in the southwestern city of Wroclaw, was ended by city authorities due to racist remarks 25 minutes after it had begun.

"The march was dissolved (...) due to hate-speech (anti-Semitism) and the use of pyrotechnics," the vice-president of the Wroclaw City Council, Bartlomiej Ciazynski, wrote on Facebook, adding that several hundred people took part in the march.

According to Poland's state news agency PAP, the police used water cannons to disperse the participants of the march.

Tens of thousands of Poles took part in a far-right march in the capital Warsaw on Monday to mark Polish independence, an annual event that has become a focus of friction between nationalists and liberals.

Tens of thousands of Poles took part in a far-right march in the capital Warsaw on Monday to mark Polish independence, an annual event that has become a focus of friction between nationalists and liberals. Some chanted "God, honour, homeland!" and "No to the European Union!" and waved red-and-white Polish flags. Others lit red flares, blanketing sections of the parade with smoke. "We have to return to our roots. Our world has abandoned God and Christianity," Robert Bakiewicz, head of a group organising the march, told participants in central Warsaw. "We will die as the nations of western Europe are dying." A small group of hardline Italian far-right group Forza Nuova members also took part, waving flags. Poland has become increasingly polarised since the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party came to power in 2015, calling for a revival of patriotic and Roman Catholic values in public life and a rejection of Western liberalism. Critics say PiS, which won a second term last month with 44 per cent of the vote, has tacitly encouraged groups with roots in the fascist and anti-Semitic movements of the 1930s that organised the march, although the party denies this. Last year, on the centenary of Polish independence, government officials and President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the PiS, agreed to hold a joint event with the annual march organisers, but walked at a distance, away from any overt displays of nationalism. This year, PiS held its own, separate events. "Our nation has a mission and it has to fulfil it," PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on Sunday. "Our mission is to sustain everything that's a foundation of our Christian civilisation. "We will walk this path, and if it's done in a thoughtful way, it will bring us to victory." On November 11, Poles commemorate the establishment in 1918 of the second Polish Republic, created after World War One from parts of what was then Russia, Germany and Austria. Two years ago, the march was dotted with racist banners, some of them reading "Pure blood, clear mind" or "Europe will be white or uninhabited". Before PiS came to power, scuffles between participants and police were not uncommon, but in recent years, more families with children have joined. On Monday, some wore stickers saying "Stop 447", in a protest against a US law on the restitution of Jewish property seized during or after World War Two, an issue increasingly featuring in public debate in Poland. The US Department of State is expected to provide a nonbinding report to Congress later this year on property restitution, under legislation known as the Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act, or Act 447. Poland was home to one of the world's biggest Jewish communities before it was almost entirely wiped out by Nazi German occupiers who set up death camps such as Auschwitz on Polish soil. Another far-right march, in the southwestern city of Wroclaw, was ended by city authorities due to racist remarks 25 minutes after it had begun. "The march was dissolved (...) due to hate-speech (anti-Semitism) and the use of pyrotechnics," the vice-president of the Wroclaw City Council, Bartlomiej Ciazynski, wrote on Facebook, adding that several hundred people took part in the march. According to Poland's state news agency PAP, the police used water cannons to disperse the participants of the march.

Polish far-right groups march on independence anniversary

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/how-can-someone-kill-in-the-name-of-god-wonders-sri-lankan-cardinal-214113">How can someone kill in the name of God, wonders Sri Lankan Cardinal</a>

Sri Lanka's Roman Catholic leader Sunday said God is the reflection of love and kindness and wondered how someone can kill in the name of God as he referred to the Islamist militants who claimed the massive Easter Sunday bombings were on behalf of the Almighty.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/manual-counting-of-votes-kills-270-in-indonesia-after-general-polls-214135">Manual counting of votes kills 270 in Indonesia after general polls</a>

Ten days after Indonesia held the world's biggest single-day elections, more than 270 election staff have died, mostly of fatigue-related illnesses caused by long hours of work counting millions of ballot papers by hand, an official said on Sunday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/johnson-johnson-rejects-report-by-rajasthan-government-on-presence-of-formaldehyde-in-baby-shampoo-214079">Johnson &amp; Johnson rejects report by Rajasthan government on presence of formaldehyde in baby shampoo</a>

Johnson &amp; Johnson has strongly rejected findings of a Rajasthan government laboratory showing the presence of "harmful" chemicals in the US-based company's baby shampoo, a popular product in India.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/father-two-brothers-of-sri-lanka-suicide-bombings-mastermind-killed-in-gun-battle-214078">Father, two brothers of Sri Lanka suicide bombings mastermind killed in gun battle</a>

The father and two brothers of the suspected mastermind of Sri Lanka's Easter Sunday bombings were killed when security forces stormed their safe house two days ago, police sources and a relative of the suicide bombers told Reuters on Sunday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-take-to-hong-kong-streets-to-protest-new-extradition-laws-214082">Thousands take to Hong Kong streets to protest new extradition laws</a>

Thousands of people marched on Hong Kong's parliament on Sunday to demand the scrapping of proposed extradition rules that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial - a move which some fear puts the city's core freedoms at risk.

How can someone kill in the name of God, wonders Sri Lankan Cardinal Sri Lanka's Roman Catholic leader Sunday said God is the reflection of love and kindness and wondered how someone can kill in the name of God as he referred to the Islamist militants who claimed the massive Easter Sunday bombings were on behalf of the Almighty.

How can someone kill in the name of God, wonders Sri Lankan Cardinal Sri Lanka's Roman Catholic leader Sunday said God is the reflection of love and kindness and wondered how someone can kill in the name of God as he referred to the Islamist militants who claimed the massive Easter Sunday bombings were on behalf of the Almighty. Manual counting of votes kills 270 in Indonesia after general polls Ten days after Indonesia held the world's biggest single-day elections, more than 270 election staff have died, mostly of fatigue-related illnesses caused by long hours of work counting millions of ballot papers by hand, an official said on Sunday. Johnson & Johnson rejects report by Rajasthan government on presence of formaldehyde in baby shampoo Johnson & Johnson has strongly rejected findings of a Rajasthan government laboratory showing the presence of "harmful" chemicals in the US-based company's baby shampoo, a popular product in India. Father, two brothers of Sri Lanka suicide bombings mastermind killed in gun battle The father and two brothers of the suspected mastermind of Sri Lanka's Easter Sunday bombings were killed when security forces stormed their safe house two days ago, police sources and a relative of the suicide bombers told Reuters on Sunday. Thousands take to Hong Kong streets to protest new extradition laws Thousands of people marched on Hong Kong's parliament on Sunday to demand the scrapping of proposed extradition rules that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial - a move which some fear puts the city's core freedoms at risk.

News brief: Big stories of the day

A Croatian bishop accidentally shot and badly wounded a man while hunting wild boar, reports and officials said Tuesday, igniting criticism on social media in the mainly Catholic country. &nbsp;

Bishop Vjekoslav Huzjak was on an organised hunting trip in eastern Croatia on Friday when he misfired his rifle and struck another hunter in the thigh, the &nbsp;Vecernji List daily paper said.

The bishop's Bjelovar-Krizevci diocese said in a statement that "he voices his deep sorrow for what has happened and wishes a quick recovery to the wounded hunter".

Police, without identifying the bishop, said they "completed a probe of a 58-year-old man" who "shot at a wild boar but missed and the bullet hit a 64-year-old man".

He was hospitalised in Zagreb with serious injuries but his life was not in danger, police said, adding that they would file a criminal complaint against the shooter.&nbsp;

"This is something unusual and such a thing has never happened in the recent history of our Church," the Vecernji List paper quoted an anonymous church source as saying.

According to local media, the bishop has a reputation as an avid hunter.

The accident sparked many, mostly negative, comments on social media in Croatia, where nearly 90 per cent of the 4.2 million population is Roman Catholics.&nbsp;

"This is what happens when priests instead of sticking to altar get hold of a rifle ... Amen!," one woman commented on Facebook.

"What is a bishop doing hunting? Killing creatures of God?" another man wrote. "Isn't that against his service and faith he preaches?"

A Croatian bishop accidentally shot and badly wounded a man while hunting wild boar, reports and officials said Tuesday, igniting criticism on social media in the mainly Catholic country.

A Croatian bishop accidentally shot and badly wounded a man while hunting wild boar, reports and officials said Tuesday, igniting criticism on social media in the mainly Catholic country. Bishop Vjekoslav Huzjak was on an organised hunting trip in eastern Croatia on Friday when he misfired his rifle and struck another hunter in the thigh, the Vecernji List daily paper said. The bishop's Bjelovar-Krizevci diocese said in a statement that "he voices his deep sorrow for what has happened and wishes a quick recovery to the wounded hunter". Police, without identifying the bishop, said they "completed a probe of a 58-year-old man" who "shot at a wild boar but missed and the bullet hit a 64-year-old man". He was hospitalised in Zagreb with serious injuries but his life was not in danger, police said, adding that they would file a criminal complaint against the shooter. "This is something unusual and such a thing has never happened in the recent history of our Church," the Vecernji List paper quoted an anonymous church source as saying. According to local media, the bishop has a reputation as an avid hunter. The accident sparked many, mostly negative, comments on social media in Croatia, where nearly 90 per cent of the 4.2 million population is Roman Catholics. "This is what happens when priests instead of sticking to altar get hold of a rifle ... Amen!," one woman commented on Facebook. "What is a bishop doing hunting? Killing creatures of God?" another man wrote. "Isn't that against his service and faith he preaches?"

Oh sweet lord! Croatian bishop accidentally shoots hunter

Spain was set Monday for the verdict in the first trial linked to thousands of suspected cases of newborns stolen from their mothers during and after Francisco Franco's dictatorship.

The scandal saw babies taken away from their mothers, who were told they had suddenly died after birth, and adopted by infertile couples, preferably close to the far-right regime, often with the help of the Catholic Church.

Eduardo Vela, an 85-year-old former gynaecologist who used to run a clinic, is the first to stand trial for alleged involvement in the baby trafficking.

Prosecutors want him jailed for 11 years.

Vela is accused of having taken Ines Madrigal, now 49, from her biological mother in 1969 and given her to another woman who was falsely certified as her birth mother.

Madrigal hopes that her case will help open "thousands of cases that are closed" even if she will never know who her real mother was.

"In this country, a person who played God... cannot remain unpunished," she said in September at the end of the hearings.

Both sides have been summoned to the Madrid court trying the case at 11:00 am (0900 GMT) on Monday to hear the verdict.

The baby-stealing practice began after Franco came to power following the 1936-39 civil war.

'Plot'

Initially, newborns were taken from left-wing opponents of the regime.

Later, the practice was expanded to illegitimate babies and those from poor families.

The guiding principle was that the child would be better off raised by an affluent, conservative and devout Roman Catholic family.

Even after Spain transitioned to democracy following Franco's death in 1975, the lucrative practice went on as an illegal trafficking network, up to at least 1987.

Campaigners estimate tens of thousands of babies may have been stolen from their parents over the decades.

Vila is accused of falsifying official documents, illegal adoption, unlawful detention and certifying a non-existent birth.

During questioning in the opening session of the trial, Vela said he could not remember details of how the clinic, which he ran for 20 years up to 1982, operated.

A policeman who probed the case and testified in court said the clinic was a centre for baby trafficking.

He added Vela had burnt his clinic's archives.

But the policeman insisted "there was a plot to which Mr Vela probably belonged" that involved taking babies from single mothers in shelters often run by religious orders.

Emilie Helmbacher, a French journalist, also testified by video conference.

In an investigation in Madrid in December 2013, she used a hidden camera to record Vela as he appeared to confess to having given Madrigal away as a "gift" in June 1969.

In the recording, he said "Ines Madrigal's mother did not pay" for her.

Vela's lawyer Rafael Casas criticised the hidden camera recording and said his client had "nothing to do" with what had been alleged.

Spain was set Monday for the verdict in the first trial linked to thousands of suspected cases of newborns stolen from their mothers during and after Francisco Franco's dictatorship.

Spain was set Monday for the verdict in the first trial linked to thousands of suspected cases of newborns stolen from their mothers during and after Francisco Franco's dictatorship. The scandal saw babies taken away from their mothers, who were told they had suddenly died after birth, and adopted by infertile couples, preferably close to the far-right regime, often with the help of the Catholic Church. Eduardo Vela, an 85-year-old former gynaecologist who used to run a clinic, is the first to stand trial for alleged involvement in the baby trafficking. Prosecutors want him jailed for 11 years. Vela is accused of having taken Ines Madrigal, now 49, from her biological mother in 1969 and given her to another woman who was falsely certified as her birth mother. Madrigal hopes that her case will help open "thousands of cases that are closed" even if she will never know who her real mother was. "In this country, a person who played God... cannot remain unpunished," she said in September at the end of the hearings. Both sides have been summoned to the Madrid court trying the case at 11:00 am (0900 GMT) on Monday to hear the verdict. The baby-stealing practice began after Franco came to power following the 1936-39 civil war. 'Plot' Initially, newborns were taken from left-wing opponents of the regime. Later, the practice was expanded to illegitimate babies and those from poor families. The guiding principle was that the child would be better off raised by an affluent, conservative and devout Roman Catholic family. Even after Spain transitioned to democracy following Franco's death in 1975, the lucrative practice went on as an illegal trafficking network, up to at least 1987. Campaigners estimate tens of thousands of babies may have been stolen from their parents over the decades. Vila is accused of falsifying official documents, illegal adoption, unlawful detention and certifying a non-existent birth. During questioning in the opening session of the trial, Vela said he could not remember details of how the clinic, which he ran for 20 years up to 1982, operated. A policeman who probed the case and testified in court said the clinic was a centre for baby trafficking. He added Vela had burnt his clinic's archives. But the policeman insisted "there was a plot to which Mr Vela probably belonged" that involved taking babies from single mothers in shelters often run by religious orders. Emilie Helmbacher, a French journalist, also testified by video conference. In an investigation in Madrid in December 2013, she used a hidden camera to record Vela as he appeared to confess to having given Madrigal away as a "gift" in June 1969. In the recording, he said "Ines Madrigal's mother did not pay" for her. Vela's lawyer Rafael Casas criticised the hidden camera recording and said his client had "nothing to do" with what had been alleged.

Spain set for verdict in first 'stolen babies' trial

Irish voters are heading to the polls on Friday to vote in a landmark referendum on whether the country should liberalise some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe.

The campaign has dominated public debate in Ireland over recent months and has forced its nearly 3.5 million voters to decide if the constitutional ban on abortion should stay or go.

Opinion polls have suggested the result could be close, with large numbers of undecided voters hanging in the balance.

Ireland was traditionally one of the most staunchly Roman Catholic countries in Europe. However, the church's influence has waned in recent years following a series of child sex abuse scandals.

The referendum comes three years after Ireland voted to legalise same-sex marriage, in a seismic change for the EU nation.

Voters have from 7:00 am (0600 GMT) until 10:00 pm on Friday to cast their ballots.

The count is to begin at 9:00 am on Saturday, with the result expected to be announced at Dublin Castle later in the day.

Early votes on remote isles

Voters on 12 remote islands in the Atlantic Ocean went to the polls a day early on Thursday to ensure the ballot boxes could be shipped or flown to count centres on the mainland in case of poor weather.

After voters on Gola -- total electorate 29 -- off the Donegal northwest coast cast their ballots, the sealed ballot box was taken back to the mainland on a 10-minute ferry ride by a policeman and an election official.

The eighth amendment to the Irish constitution was installed following a 1983 referendum which approved outlawing abortion.

Subsequent legislation ruled anyone having an abortion could face up to 14 years in jail.

The ban has led to thousands of women travelling each year to neighbouring Britain where terminations are legal, or increasingly turning to abortion pills sold online.

The law was tweaked in 2013 to allow terminations if the mother's life is at risk, following the death of Savita Halappanavar, a pregnant woman originally from India who was refused an abortion.

The Irish government has proposed that if the eighth amendment is repealed, abortion will be allowed up to 12 weeks and between 12 and 24 weeks in exceptional circumstances.

Split views

The debate has split the country.

Gavin Boyne, 20, a philosophy student wearing a pink hoodie from the Love Both pro-life movement, said he owed his life to the eighth amendment.

His mother had accidentally got pregnant and had been sent to England by her parents for a termination, before they had a change of heart.

"My grandparents recognised that I was a unique human being with value and so they couldn't have had me killed. If the eighth amendment wasn't there in 1998, I wouldn't be here today," he said.

Meanwhile Ciara Grealy, 21, from Dublin, said: "I don't know see we should export women to another country to have something that should be done safely and legally here.

"One of my best friends had to do it. She found out she was pregnant the doctors said 'our hands are tied'. She had to get a flight to Liverpool with her parents." She said her friend had found seeing the omnipresent referendum placards distressing.

Activists were out on a final push for votes on Thursday, attempting to convince wavering voters in what has been an emotionally-charged campaign.

Meanwhile city streets are filled with people wearing campaign badges, stickers and tops.

Cian Flaherty, 22, a history student at Dublin's Trinity College, said it was a matter of human rights and "the unborn is a human being".

"Often times, the narrative of choice is a false narrative. A lot of the time, if you feel you've got no support and the only option you have is a termination, I don't think that's a genuine choice," he said.

Caoimhe Mulcahy, 27, an actor from County Clare in western Ireland, said it was a question of women's health and many had "really suffered" with unregulated, unsafe and illegal abortions.

"There isn't one easy solution but people are suffering and we need to change it," she said.

The campaign has dominated public debate in Ireland over recent months and has forced its nearly 3.5 million voters to decide if the constitutional ban on abortion should stay or go

Irish voters are heading to the polls on Friday to vote in a landmark referendum on whether the country should liberalise some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. The campaign has dominated public debate in Ireland over recent months and has forced its nearly 3.5 million voters to decide if the constitutional ban on abortion should stay or go. Opinion polls have suggested the result could be close, with large numbers of undecided voters hanging in the balance. Ireland was traditionally one of the most staunchly Roman Catholic countries in Europe. However, the church's influence has waned in recent years following a series of child sex abuse scandals. The referendum comes three years after Ireland voted to legalise same-sex marriage, in a seismic change for the EU nation. Voters have from 7:00 am (0600 GMT) until 10:00 pm on Friday to cast their ballots. The count is to begin at 9:00 am on Saturday, with the result expected to be announced at Dublin Castle later in the day. Early votes on remote isles Voters on 12 remote islands in the Atlantic Ocean went to the polls a day early on Thursday to ensure the ballot boxes could be shipped or flown to count centres on the mainland in case of poor weather. After voters on Gola -- total electorate 29 -- off the Donegal northwest coast cast their ballots, the sealed ballot box was taken back to the mainland on a 10-minute ferry ride by a policeman and an election official. The eighth amendment to the Irish constitution was installed following a 1983 referendum which approved outlawing abortion. Subsequent legislation ruled anyone having an abortion could face up to 14 years in jail. The ban has led to thousands of women travelling each year to neighbouring Britain where terminations are legal, or increasingly turning to abortion pills sold online. The law was tweaked in 2013 to allow terminations if the mother's life is at risk, following the death of Savita Halappanavar, a pregnant woman originally from India who was refused an abortion. The Irish government has proposed that if the eighth amendment is repealed, abortion will be allowed up to 12 weeks and between 12 and 24 weeks in exceptional circumstances. Split views The debate has split the country. Gavin Boyne, 20, a philosophy student wearing a pink hoodie from the Love Both pro-life movement, said he owed his life to the eighth amendment. His mother had accidentally got pregnant and had been sent to England by her parents for a termination, before they had a change of heart. "My grandparents recognised that I was a unique human being with value and so they couldn't have had me killed. If the eighth amendment wasn't there in 1998, I wouldn't be here today," he said. Meanwhile Ciara Grealy, 21, from Dublin, said: "I don't know see we should export women to another country to have something that should be done safely and legally here. "One of my best friends had to do it. She found out she was pregnant the doctors said 'our hands are tied'. She had to get a flight to Liverpool with her parents." She said her friend had found seeing the omnipresent referendum placards distressing. Activists were out on a final push for votes on Thursday, attempting to convince wavering voters in what has been an emotionally-charged campaign. Meanwhile city streets are filled with people wearing campaign badges, stickers and tops. Cian Flaherty, 22, a history student at Dublin's Trinity College, said it was a matter of human rights and "the unborn is a human being". "Often times, the narrative of choice is a false narrative. A lot of the time, if you feel you've got no support and the only option you have is a termination, I don't think that's a genuine choice," he said. Caoimhe Mulcahy, 27, an actor from County Clare in western Ireland, said it was a question of women's health and many had "really suffered" with unregulated, unsafe and illegal abortions. "There isn't one easy solution but people are suffering and we need to change it," she said.

Ireland heads to vote in historic abortion referendum

Congolese police and soldiers on Sunday set up checkpoints across the capital Kinshasa and fired teargas at opposition supporters who had gathered outside churches to protest against President Joseph Kabila.

Authorities ordered internet and SMS services to be cut following calls by Catholic activists for protest marches after Sunday mass.

The activists are demanding that Kabila commit to not changing the constitution to stand for a third term and to release political prisoners.

The police have banned demonstrations and said that all gatherings of more than five people will be dispersed.

Across Kinshasa, police and soldiers searched vehicles and checked passengers&#39; identifications.

Some 40 percent of Congo&#39;s population is Roman Catholic and the Church enjoys rare credibility with the public, even though its leadership has not formally backed the protests.

At the Notre Dame du Congo cathedral in Kinshasa&#39;s Lingwala district, where opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi was attending mass, dozens of police and soldiers blocked the path of more than 100 opposition supporters as they prepared to try to march.

Tshisekedi, however, who had backed the activists&#39; call to march, left the church in a vehicle, spurring angry shouts from the crowd, which said he was abandoning them.

At the Paroisse Saint Michel in Bandalungwa district, security forces fired teargas into the church, creating panic, opposition leader Vital Kamerhe, who was present at the mass, told Reuters.

&quot;All of the neighbouring community came out (to protest) and I think that this shows the will of the people and marks the beginning of the end of the dictatorship,&quot; Kamerhe said.

At another church in the working class district of Barumbu, a few dozen police officers used teargas and stun grenades against some 300 churchgoers, who waved bibles and sang religious songs as they tried to march, a Reuters witness said.

A police spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.

Opposition appeals for protests this year have been easily suppressed by security forces but the Catholic activists&#39; appeal has managed to unite nearly all of Congo&#39;s fractious opposition.

Kabila&#39;s ruling coalition and opposition leaders struck a deal last Dec. 31 that allowed Kabila to stay in power beyond the end of his second and final term but required that the election to replace him be held by the end of 2017.

The country&#39;s electoral commission, however, later said that was not possible and scheduled the vote for Dec. 23, 2018.

Congolese police and soldiers on Sunday set up checkpoints across the capital Kinshasa and fired tear gas at opposition supporters who had gathered outside churches to protest against President Joseph Kabila

Congolese police and soldiers on Sunday set up checkpoints across the capital Kinshasa and fired teargas at opposition supporters who had gathered outside churches to protest against President Joseph Kabila. Authorities ordered internet and SMS services to be cut following calls by Catholic activists for protest marches after Sunday mass. The activists are demanding that Kabila commit to not changing the constitution to stand for a third term and to release political prisoners. The police have banned demonstrations and said that all gatherings of more than five people will be dispersed. Across Kinshasa, police and soldiers searched vehicles and checked passengers' identifications. Some 40 percent of Congo's population is Roman Catholic and the Church enjoys rare credibility with the public, even though its leadership has not formally backed the protests. At the Notre Dame du Congo cathedral in Kinshasa's Lingwala district, where opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi was attending mass, dozens of police and soldiers blocked the path of more than 100 opposition supporters as they prepared to try to march. Tshisekedi, however, who had backed the activists' call to march, left the church in a vehicle, spurring angry shouts from the crowd, which said he was abandoning them. At the Paroisse Saint Michel in Bandalungwa district, security forces fired teargas into the church, creating panic, opposition leader Vital Kamerhe, who was present at the mass, told Reuters. "All of the neighbouring community came out (to protest) and I think that this shows the will of the people and marks the beginning of the end of the dictatorship," Kamerhe said. At another church in the working class district of Barumbu, a few dozen police officers used teargas and stun grenades against some 300 churchgoers, who waved bibles and sang religious songs as they tried to march, a Reuters witness said. A police spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment. Opposition appeals for protests this year have been easily suppressed by security forces but the Catholic activists' appeal has managed to unite nearly all of Congo's fractious opposition. Kabila's ruling coalition and opposition leaders struck a deal last Dec. 31 that allowed Kabila to stay in power beyond the end of his second and final term but required that the election to replace him be held by the end of 2017. The country's electoral commission, however, later said that was not possible and scheduled the vote for Dec. 23, 2018.

Teargas, checkpoints as Congo tries to stop anti-government demonstrations

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