A local Chinese Communist Party document mentioned that the Weizhou Grand Mosque had been carrying out illegal extensions since 2016, so it must be demolished.[9] Officials in the town were saying the mosque had not been given proper building permits, because it is built in a Middle Eastern style and include numerous domes and minarets.[2][3][4] The residents of Weizhou were alarmed each other by social media and finally stopped the mosque destruction by public demonstrations.[6][7]