Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that the scale of persecution being encountered by Christians in Cuba is unlike anything seen before, with a ten-fold increase in violations of freedom of religion or belief last year (2,300 cases). Cuban church-goers are being arrested and dragged away on a weekly basis. CSW says, ‘Perhaps the Cuban government is trying to limit the potential for social upheaval by cracking down on civil society. The church, after the revolution and following the repressive measures enacted against civil society as a whole, is one of the few places where people can come together. As the government is trying to retain control, Christians are also starting to push back a bit. They're trying to resist in a peaceful, non-violent manner, and we think that the government is trying to assert itself.’ The rise in violations of religious or belief freedoms last year was largely due to the Cuban government declaring two thousand Assemblies of God churches illegal.