Disregard for the law is a prominent characteristic of Falun Gong. Li Hongzhi claims that Falun Dafa is the “Universal Law,” superior to all human laws. Followers are told to follow Falun Dafa rather than the laws of society, which, according to him, hold no authority over followers.

Under the influence of Li Hongzhi’s teachings, whenever an individual or organization questions the Falun Gong, its followers often converge on the critic’s site to demand an explanation. Claiming to be “defending the Law,” they have even besieged media outlets, government offices, and research institutions. When authorities investigate Falun Gong’s illegal activities, followers interpret it as a challenge to Falun Dafa and a form of insubordination. In this context, many have taken to the streets, causing disturbances and disrupting public order.

For instance, from June 8 to 12, 1998, Falun Gong followers in Wuhan, Hubei Province, illegally besieged the Changjiang Daily newspaper nine times. Incomplete statistics show that before Falun Gong was banned, there were at least 78 incidents in which over 300 followers gathered to target government offices, media outlets and research institutions.

In July 1999, the Chinese government banned Falun Gong in accordance with the law. Refusing to accept defeat, Li Hongzhi and his organization incited followers to openly defy and undermine Chinese law, with some actions posing serious threats to social order and public safety.

 In January 2001, Dou Zhenyang and Wang Hongjun, Falun Gong members in Fushun, Liaoning Province, twice placed specially constructed obstacles on the railway in an attempt to derail trains and amplify their impact.

 On March 5, 2002, Falun Gong members in Changchun, Jilin Province, including Zhou Runjun, cut cable television lines and illegally broadcast Falun Gong programs. On September 18, the Changchun Intermediate People’s Court publicly tried Zhou and other followers for damaging the cable network. In court, Zhou admitted to her actions but denied they broke the law. She argued that Falun Dafa is above the law, insisting that while cutting cable lines is technically illegal, promoting Falun Dafa takes precedence over legal rules. She also claimed that the law, the government, and Falun Dafa are not comparable.

 On June 23, 2002, SinoSat-1, a satellite carrying programs from dozens of Chinese television stations, was illegally hijacked by Falun Gong signals transmitted from the Taiwan region of China. By August 7, 2007, Falun Gong had carried out a total of 252 attacks on civilian satellites, including Xinnuo-1, Asia-Pacific 6, and Asia 3S, totaling 160 hours of disruption.

In October 2002, Chinese-American Li Xiangchun attempted to sabotage communication cables in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, but was unsuccessful. In court, he argued that any action taken to promote Falun Dafa should not be considered a crime.

Falun Gong does not only challenge Chinese law; its members have repeatedly broken the law abroad as well.

 In October 2006, Long Long, a Falun Gong follower in the Netherlands, brutally killed a 22-year-old Dutch man with an axe. He then dismembered the victim, removed the bones, and cooked the remains in a pot.

 On November 30, 2006, two Falun Gong followers in Singapore, Huang Caihua and Yu Wenzhong, were fined by a local court for public disturbance. After they refused to pay the fines, they were sentenced to prison.

On January 22, 2007, a Singapore court heard the case of six Falun Gong members accused of holding an unauthorized assembly. During the proceedings, all six began reciting Li Hongzhi’s “scriptures” together. The judge immediately held them in contempt of court and sentenced each to two days in jail.

 On February 8, 2008, 22 Falun Gong members in Bangkok, Thailand, were arrested after forcefully distributing Falun Gong propaganda materials to passersby, disrupting the festive atmosphere of the holiday.