FLUSHING, New York City—The streets of Flushing, Queens, have been host to strange events over the past two weeks as Chinese, instigated by the Chinese Consulate and driven by hate propaganda, have gathered daily in groups of 10 to several hundred to attack Falun Gong practitioners.
The assaults started on May 17 during a rally outside the Flushing Library, where volunteers, including Falun Gong practitioners, have been maintaining an information booth—the Service Center for Quitting the CCP—which exposes the crimes of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and encourages people to resign from the CCP.
The attacks, which have been both verbal and physical, have resulted in at least six arrests and one summons, and have forced the NYPD to deploy officers to the scene in ever-increasing numbers.
On Saturday, approximately 700 Falun Gong practitioners held a rally in response to the ongoing attacks. The event, which drew the attention of Flushing's non-Chinese community, featured a large marching band as well as several Chinese dissidents who are in favor of dissolving the CCP.
One of these residents, Joel Cooper, said he doesn't agree with what has been happening in his neighborhood since the attacks started on May 17 during the rally organized by the Service Center for Quitting the CCP.
CCP Incites Flushing Mobs
"This is a free country," said Cooper at a hot dog stand up the street from Saturday's rally. "You're free to express yourself."
Cooper added that he feels that the admission of New York Chinese Consul General Keyu Peng to instigating and encouraging the attacks is unacceptable. (The Consul General made his remarks in a phone conversation that was recorded.)
"That's really bad that we have a guy with so much power and using his influence to exploit people," he said.
Cooper's friend Keiro, also a Flushing resident, added that he thinks Falun Gong should be left alone.
"I think that's [the attacks] very bad. It's not important what you believe; you should be allowed to believe it."
Taking Sides
Several people who work in Flushing near areas where the attacks have been taking place on Kissena Blvd. are feeling the need to take sides.
Debra Davis, who works in customer service at Time Warner Cable on Kissena says she has thought about joining the Falun Gong practitioners to support them.
"If I could, I would go out there," she said, adding that she sees the attacks as an issue of freedom of belief.
"I am an American. I was born in this country. The ones who were born here know better. In America you are free to follow what you want to follow. We've gone through it for many centuries in this country already, so we know this."
Davis also noted that she feels there will certainly be a time when Falun Gong practitioners in Flushing will have the safety and freedom that they deserve.
"Eventually, they [Falun Gong] will prevail," said Davis. "They will prevail."
Katherine Medina from College Point works as a receptionist at New York Eye Care just off of Kissena on Broadway, which is also near the center of the disruptions that have continued for weeks. She said that she wasn't aware that agents from the Chinese Consulate were behind the disruptions until recently, but is now concerned for the safety of people in the community.
"I think it is not safe for us living in America to have spies coming in to cause problems," said Medina as she stood outside her office during a break on Saturday. "I don't feel safe."
Medina added that in her opinion the ideology of communism is not welcome in Flushing or anywhere else in the United States.
"We don't have communism here. This is America, it's a free country."
Community Response
Some Flushing residents have been saddened by the attacks and are now questioning the lack of response from community leaders and the failure to quell the violence.
Ms. K. Harrison is a legal secretary and has been a Flushing resident for over 30 years.
"It's tragic," said Ms. Harrison. "I was out here last weekend and saw the commotion. Where's the councilman for the community?"
A retired senior citizen who is originally from Spain says that he fully supports Falun Gong. The man, who preferred not to give his name, says he has been a Flushing resident for more than 40 years. He warned that those who are attacking Falun Gong should think twice about importing communist ideology and tactics to the United States.
"If they [the attackers] are communists, what are they doing here in the United States?" he asked.
"If they like their communist country, they should go back to China."
One young woman who is a clerk at a cosmetics store was hesitant to comment and did not want to be identified. But she did say the violence and disruptions were "annoying" and added that those attacking Falun Gong were making a bad impression on the community.
"It makes Chinese people look bad," she said.
People from other New York City areas are also speaking up against the situation. Westchester County resident Jonathan Siegel said that even though he doesn't know all the details of the recent events, he doesn't agree with what is happening.
"I don't think they [Falun Gong] should be persecuted," he said.
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