Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung (German News): Peaceful Practitioners, Petrified State President

Two German media reports from the Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung, April 13, 2002

(Wolfsburg Common News)

Two articles on page 23 in the April 13, 2002 issue of Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung recounted contrasting impressions about the Chinese President's German visit. The two articles follow:

The principles of Falun Gong on the banner were written in huge Chinese calligraphy letters: Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. Approximately 70 [practitioners] of the Chinese meditation system Falun Gong carried this banner through the inner city yesterday.

Their protests targeted Chinese President Jiang Zemin who visited Wolfsburg yesterday. Falun Gong [practitioners] had begun their tailing of Jiang Zemin five days ago -- where he appears, they also are present, where he is a guest, they are there, to demonstrate. Their goal is, according to Y Xing, "to raise awareness of the horrid conditions in China."

Falun Gong is practiced in 50 countries around the world. The unique meditation system is supposed to bring inner peace and also cultivates mind and body. Only in China is this system banned, even brutally persecuted.

They first gathered at city hall, meditated and gained new energy from the five exercises.

"We are fairly weary," said Jing Wang, "but compared to the sufferings Falun Gong [practitioners] have to endure in China, this is nothing."

They carried huge signboards, reading "Jiang Zemin -- responsible for the death of 388 Falun Gong practitioners." The demonstrators also carried flowers and photographs of most of the Falun Gong practitioners who had been tortured to death in China. The march of these solemn and peaceful 70 people wended its way through the pedestrian zone. The police had no tasks to carry out. "The group is highly disciplined," said police officer Armin Schramm.

The group of demonstrators finally stood together at Nordkopf, attracting the looks of a lot of curious passers-by. "This demonstration is commendable," said Wolfsburg resident Martin Luers. Alina Luehring expressed the same sentiment, "They only state their opinion -- it's a shame the Chinese Chief of State won't see it."

Demonstration against China's Chief of State -- Falun Gong [practitioners] gather yesterday in the Pedestrian Zone, but remain completely peaceful.

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China's President very well guarded -- Helicopters, Police Patrol Boat, Plain-clothes Officers, Dogs and Blocked Roads

Wolfsburg under a total state of siege: police vehicles at every corner, blocked roads, a police boat patrolling the canal -- Chinese President Jiang Zemin's visit yesterday was well guarded.

Nothing had been left to chance. Everything was under control. Even police dogs brought from Hannover were pressed into duty, to conduct searches of the Volkswagen Works grounds. Contrary to expectations, Jiang Zemin arrived in Wolfsburg in an armor-plated limousine. At 11:05 a.m., officials completely closed the on-and-off ramps to the A39, (Autostrasse No. 39/highway 39) at Hoehe Autovision. Motorcycle police officers stationed there explained the closure to motorists. Six minutes later it happened: a massive convoy of cars, the state president's car in the lead, swept directly into the Volkswagen Factory at a speed of 70 miles per hour.

Around 500 security forces secured the automobile city. Beginning at 11:30 a.m., already no visitor to this city was allowed to enter the Ritz-Carlton Hotel where Jiang Zemin stayed. Bundeskriminalamt-officers (German equivalent to the FBI), police officers and plain-clothes forces guarded the hotel. All guests were discretely denied access to the proximity of the hotel. People did not always stand quietly for that. "Everywhere we go we are told to leave. We had to change our itinerary completely," groused auto-city visitor Juergen Becker from Uelzen.

At 12:40 p.m. the formal gift presentation in front of the luxury hotel took place, which again brought with it the total lock-down at the hotel's perimeter: no one within 400 meters (over 1,200 feet) was allowed to approach the president. The Bentley and Lamborghini Pavilion had been closed and searched by the police, the police harbor patrol kept the water way closely in sight. It was all over by 12:47 p.m. and almost none got to see a thing.

To Wolfsburg with flashing blue lights -- President Jiang Zemin's and his Escorts on A39.

(Original text in German)

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