Hundreds of residents of a Muslim village in northwestern China clashed with police, trying to stop the demolition of their mosque, Reuters reported.

The fighting between the police and members of the largely Muslim Hui ethnic group led to several deaths on Friday in the Ningxia region. Authorities declared the newly built mosque illegal in the Taoshan village and ordered for it to be demolished, Reuters reported. Trying to prevent the destruction, residents surrounded the mosque and took on the police, who answered with tear gas, truncheons and knives.

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Witnesses said police beat residents with batons and used water canons on protesters, The New York Times reported. At least two people were killed, although some reports from Hong Kong media suggest the death toll was five, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"Why they would treat us Muslims like this? We wanted to build this mosque just for prayers. Why they have to demolish it?" wrote one woman who identified herself as Zhe Tao on an Internet bulletin board, the LA Times reported. The woman also noted the mosque was legally registered with the Chinese government since 1998.

The Hui are the largest ethnic minority in China that practices Islam, The Times reported. Although many live in northwestern China, near where the protests took place, some have moved to other parts of China to do business.

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According to the LA Times, the Hui are more assimilated than any other Muslim minority in China, making the clashes unusual since they have more religious freedom from the Chinese Communist Party.