FLUSHING, New York City—Since May 17 organized groups of Chinese known to have received the encouragement of the Chinese Consul General have verbally and physically assaulted Falun Gong adherents in an apparent attempt to drive them off the streets of Flushing, New York City's main Chinatown. However, the people of Flushing now seem to be taking the side of Falun Gong practitioners against these aggressive individuals.
The Epoch Times has reported on the mobs in Flushing from the beginning and Falun Gong practitioners who are working distributing the paper have seen first hand the recent change in those living in the neighborhood.
Ms. Hong Lu distributes copies of The Epoch Times between Sanford Street and Main Street in Flushing. On June 12 while she was distributing newspapers, a Chinese man named Li working part-time at a local Chinese store accepted the newspaper from her. All of sudden a man called out to Li, "Don't take their newspaper!"
Mr. Li turned and told the man, "She is a woman standing in the scorching sun offering free newspapers. Look at you. A man wearing sunglasses hiding in a shade telling me not to accept the newspaper. In my opinion, you are an evil cult."
Finding himself in an embarrassing situation, the man fled from the scene without a word.
Mr. Li told Ms. Hong that he didn't understand Falun Gong practitioners, but these attacks in Flushing gave him an opportunity to know that Falun Gong practitioners are good people and the Chinese Communist Party is "despicable."
"You are all standing on the streets. I cannot protect you all, so you must take good care of yourselves. Take care. My blessings to every Falun Gong practitioner," Mr. Li said.
After a brief conversation with Ms. Hong, Mr. Li decided to quit the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) Young Pioneer League, to which he once belonged.
'Don't Tear the Newspaper!'
Ms. Yang Ruowei is a 71-year-old Falun Gong practitioner from China who has been distributing copies of The Epoch Times in front of Starbucks in Flushing between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. Energetic and agile, and with a tanned, healthy complexion, Ms. Yang does not look like a woman in her 70's.
"Falun Gong has been suffering from the Chinese Communist Party's persecution for nine years [since July 20, 1999.] We have been persevering in protesting the persecution. We have never recoiled. More and more people are learning the truth about Falun Gong. Some of them even step out to help us," Ms. Yang said.
On the early morning on June 12, a young Chinese man took a copy of The Epoch Times from her. At the time, Ms. Yang was not paying attention to him, but she heard a man shouting, "Don't you tear the newspaper!"
Ms. Yang looked to the direction of the man and saw the young man was tearing the newspaper. He had just torn an inside page, which fell to the ground.
The man went up briskly to the young man. He picked up the torn page, rolled it into a ball, and stuffed it inside the young man's collar.
The man told the young man angrily, "You dare to tear the newspaper. You must take the torn page with you. Who do you think you are? The Communist Party has attempted to crush Falun Gong for nine years, but has never succeeded. You are a coward to bully an old lady."
Growing Popularity
Traveling around in Flushing on June 13, one would see Chinese residents, despite the heat wave, all over the streets of this Chinese community reading The Epoch Times . The mob attacks seems to have piqued interest in the paper that is the best source for information about Falun Gong.
The readers are coming from different walks of life and all age groups. Young students in their 20's were walking and reading The Epoch Times at the same time. Middle-aged people doing grocery shopping picked up free Epoch Times newspapers in the newspaper boxes on the streets. There were readers who stood to read The Epoch Times right next to a paper stand. Residents have approached the people distributing The Epoch Times to voice their support for Falun Gong.
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