AP: 32 Detained in Falun Gong Protests

Christopher Bodeen Associated Press Writer

April 25, 2001 BEIJING (AP) - Police detained at least 32 people on Tiananmen Square Wednesday, the second anniversary of the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual movement's first large demonstration. Scattered protests broke out on the vast square in central Beijing amid crowds of thousands of Chinese and foreign tourists. Police forced American, German and French tourists who had taken pictures to expose film and record over video tape. "Falun Gong is good!" one man shouted before uniformed and plainclothes police shoved him and two female Two women holding a bright yellow banner with red lettering were hustled into a police van. One stuck her head out a window, screaming "Police are beating people!" Two plainclothes police ran up and punched her in the face. Later, a woman and a man holding an infant started chanting Falun Gong slogans. Police grabbed the man around his neck and snatched the child from his hands. All three were bundled into a van. After the protests, police stepped up security, checking bags and identification of Chinese people entering the square. [...] Similar protests were held outside the gates of the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo, where about 60 Falun Gong members demanded China grant their group legal rights. The Falun Gong branch in Japan has about 400 members, many of them Chinese. In Hong Kong on Wednesday, dozens of Falun Gong protesters meditated near the Beijing government's main office. There were no arrests. On Tuesday, Falun Gong members claimed in New York that China's President Jiang Zemin cracked down on the spiritual movement to solidify his power base against "real or imagined enemies" in his own government and outside the country. Two years ago, Falun Gong made itself known to the world by gathering more than 10,000 members in a silent protest around Zhongnanhai, the Chinese leadership compound near Tiananmen. The group wanted official recognition. Instead, Beijing outlawed Falun Gong three months later as a threat to social stability and [party's name omitted] rule. Tens of thousands of members have been arrested, and human rights groups say at least 100 members have died in police custody. [...]

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