By Wang Ying

(Clearwisdom.net) San Francisco's Chinese New Year Parade was held on the evening of March 3, 2007. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce (CCC), with its Chinese General Consul board member, extended the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s persecution of Falun Gong to San Francisco and refused the practitioners' application for participating in the parade. Thus, the practitioners exposed the CCP and the CCC to the media and the San Francisco public at the parade. They also demonstrated the exercises and performed waist drum and celestial maiden dances to demonstrate the grace of Falun Gong and traditional Chinese culture. The practitioners explained that practitioners are a part of the Chinese community and that the CCC has wrongfully denied their participation in the parade, thus extending the CCP's persecution to San Francisco.

Signing to support Falun Gong practitioners

Along the path of the parade on March 3, Falun Gong practitioners set up demonstration areas on Kearny Street and California Street. They explained to the public and tourists how the CCP, through the CCC and its consul Rose Pak, discriminates against and blocks Falun Gong practitioners from participating in the Chinese New Year Parade during the Lantern Festival.

Spokeswoman Dr. Zhang Xuerong of Falun Gong in San Francisco said that the application to participate in the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco's Chinatown was rejected by the CCC. This is closely related to the persecution of Falun Gong in China because the Chinese General Consul, Peng Keyu, is a board member of the CCC. The CCC not only rejected practitioners' participation in the parade, but has also conducted activities against Falun Gong.

Dr. Zhang said, "We wish to participate in the parade celebrating the Chinese traditional holiday with the Chinese community. Though we cannot participate, we have come here today to let people know that cultivation of Falun Gong is a part of the five-thousand-year old Chinese culture. Because of our belief, the CCP persecutes us. Our basic rights are infringed upon. We cannot participate in the parade that is funded by the city government. We hope everyone can see that the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong is being extended to San Francisco."

Regarding the Chinese Consulate's conduct and the CCP's persecution policy, Dr. Zhang said that the situation cannot continue forever, but will be resolved sooner or later.

After 2:00 p.m., Falun Gong practitioners came to the demonstration areas that the police designated. Those with yellow costumes demonstrated the exercises and performed on waist drums alternatively. The drum playing caught the attention of many people. Some lady practitioners with colorful celestial maiden costumes performed dances. Young practitioners also participated. The practitioners also set up banners to introduce Falun Gong, condemn the CCP's persecution and call for an end of the extension of the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong to overseas.

Lu Hui, the coordinator of the event, said, "Falun Gong is Chinese traditional cultivation and a part of Chinese traditional culture. We have come here today to perform dances with Tang costumes and play waist drums. We wish to show the grace of Chinese traditional culture and celebrate the New Year with everyone."

Lu Hui said, "The police support us. They know us very well. They know that we are peaceful. The CCP's consul Rose Pak attempted to ask the police not to designate this demonstration zone, but the police rejected her request."

A spectator named Beverly watched the performance of young practitioners from the Minghui School and said, "Wonderful." She criticized the organizers of the parade for being too political, saying they should allow all parties to join because San Francisco is a city of freedom of speech. She thanked the practitioners for their performance.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/3/4/150160.html