The confrontation between Queens county residents and the Falun Gong practitioners is now on its fourth day, reported from Ming Pao on May 21.
Yesterday at 10am, several dozen Falun Gong member appeared in front of the Flushing Public Library. Just like the past three days before, they unfurled banners that pronounced "The Heavens destroy the Chinese Communists," "Experts sent Sichuan earthquake prediction report confidentially to authorities" and so on to show the passer-bys. Some of the Falun Gong members said that they have been criticising the Chinese Communist regime and they thought that the Sichuan earthquake revealed the evil nature of the Chinese Communists. Some Falun Gong members even said that the Sichuan earthquake was the result of the violent rule of the Chinese Communists.
Their proclamations attracted many passer-bys, Main Street merchants and neighboring residents. Some of those citizens were unhappy about the Falun Gong propaganda. Heated arguments ensued. Amidst the confusion, some citizens rushed up to knock down the big Falun Gong placards and stomped on them with their feet.
The Flushing Police Precinct 109 was notified and sent a large number of police officers to the scene. The police immediately dispersed the spectators and used barriers to separate the two sides on the northern and southern ends of the library respectively ... But the scene did not cool down as a result of the arrival of the police. The Falun Gong members raised their placards once again to protest, while the citizens on the other side brought a five-star national flag and chanted "The Falun Gong is an evil cult" and "Go China!"
By noon, the rain was falling harder but the crowd grew larger. The police barriers was broken through by up to 1,000 anti-Falun Gong protestors. The police arrested at least two Chinese males.
Flushing city councilor Liu Chunyi
At around 3pm, the police asked Flushing city councilor Liu Chunyi to come down to the scene. Liu used a loudspeaker to tell the crowd that America is a place with freedom of speech: everybody has the right to express his viewpoints. Personally, Liu said that China is coping with a disaster and the paramount task is for disaster relief. He pointed out that these daily confrontations have disrupted normal order and public safety in Flushing -- the library cannot function properly and street traffic was disrupted.
...
After the evening traffic peak hour passed, more office workers joined in the crowd. There were more than 1,000 people on Main Street and Kissena Avenue by the Public Library. The police pushed the barriers forward almost to the Long Island Railroad bridge and increased the number of police officers present.
By nightfall, the anti-Falun Gong protestors got more excited. They raised their hastily prepared placards and the sound of the Chinese national anthem echoed into the night. The police arrested a man who threw eggs into the crowd.
A man named Zheng said that he and some other passer-bys destroyed six Falun Gong placards. Zheng said that the Sichuan disaster was a terrible sight to behold but the Falun Gong were banging gongs and drums to celebrate. This sort of inhumane behavior was intolerable. He admitted that "he destroyed the placards, but he did not assault anyone and the other side did not fight back."
Another resident named Zhang said that the fight between the Falun Gong and the CCP is a "class struggle" in which he has no interest in participate. He does not believe that the great Sichuan earthquake was "a retribution on the Chinese Communists" as asserted by the Falun Gong. Rather, it was a disaster for the people. He believed that the assertion of the Falun Gong was "entirely without human values."
But a Falun Gong member holding a cameras said that the anti-Falun Gong protestors do not really understand the Falun Gong. "They are really instigated from behind the scene by the special agents from the Chinese embassy."
At around 9pm, the Falun Gong boarded a bus at the request of the police and left the scene. The police breathed a sigh of relief as the crowds went home. The police said that they will not permit the Falun Gong to hold a demonstration in front of the Flushing Public Library again tomorrow. Instead, they will be moved farther away.
Chinese Version in Ming Pao: http://www.mingpaony.com/htm/News/20080521/nb0101.htm
