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Deseret News: Oly Protesters . . . in Lotus Position? [Excerpt] By Brady Snyder December 18, 2001 Come February 2002 those potential hotbeds known as Salt Lake's Olympic
protest zones will, at times, be filled with people silently doing [Falun Gong exercises.] [...] Followers of Falun Dafa - a spiritual movement, not a religion - will
sit
legs crossed in one of the six downtown protest zones and silently
protest
while making yoga-like movements with their arms. It's a much more tranquil image than that of a throng of hot-blooded
animal
rights or anti-commercialism activists, who are also seeking space
inside
the protest zones. [Practitioners] of Falun Dafa, or Falun Gong as it's sometimes called, will be
protesting China's persecution of the movement's followers there, said
University of Utah student Sheng Mei, the group's liaison in Salt Lake
City. In China, Mei said, Falun Dafa was banned after it received more
support
than the government liked. Now followers of Falun Dafa often receive
beatings, imprisonment or banishment from the Chinese authorities, Mei
said. "They're kicked out and beaten up or arrested," he said. "They're
treated
pretty bad." Besides their silent meditations, Falun Dafa followers will hand out
literature explaining their movement and its persecution in China. While the protests will likely be weekly and small - around 50 people
each - Mei said the silent sit-ins could draw thousands if support grows
nationwide. Besides the Falun Dafa, only one other group, the Disabled Rights
Action
Committee, has thus far been granted permission to use Salt Lake City's
protest zones, which can accommodate 600 people at any given time. [...] The protest zones are located around the downtown area and near
Rice-Eccles
Stadium, home to the opening and closing ceremonies. The zones have
restrictions on how many people can be inside at one time and for how
long. http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,355013080,00.html Posting date: 12/19/2001 |