FLUSHING, New York City—After two and half weeks, the 'Quit the CCP' Service Center in Flushing, NY finally resumed its normal operations. With the help of community members and the police, it is back in its original location in front of the Flushing Library. In addition, the center has set up another four new stations in the Flushing area.
Beginning on May 17 and continuing for more than two weeks, hired attackers, incited by the Chinese Consulate, besieged volunteers of the Center in an attempt to drive them out of Flushing. In response, the local police temporarily moved the Center from the front to the back of the Flushing Library to protect the safety of the Center volunteers.
On June 3 at 10 a.m., the Center resumed its normal operation. Over 20 policemen came to the center in the morning to make sure its reopening was smooth. Police and their vehicles remain stationed on-site. A policeman told The Epoch Times that it was their mission to protect Falun Gong practitioners from further harrassment.
A few who participated in the previous harassment in the last few days were still present, but did not come close to the volunteer booth.
According to Center manager Yi Rong, since the first attack on May 17, the police assigned a place in the back of the Library as a temporary measure in order to protect the Service Center volunteers. But the Chinese Consulate continued to organize overseas Chinese students and local Chinese thugs to insult and make trouble on the other side of the street. The police drove them away quickly.
Yi told The Epoch Times, that "through this Flushing event, we are more confident that the all people will understand the evil nature of the CCP. Soon there would be a tide of opposition to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and the Chinese Communist Party."
Ms. Chen, from Fuzhou city in mainland China, came across the Service Center on the morning of June 3. She said she had never paid attention to the Center before, but she was quite happy to quit the youth league now.
A library employee was very happy and welcomed the return of the center. He told The Epoch Times, "Falun Gong had been here for several years, but it did not attract much attention at first, but more and more people came." He believed the CCP must be the one behind the recent attacks, but that just these events just made more people aware of the service center.
A 40-year-old hair dresser told an Epoch Times reporter that she came to the U.S. from Fujian Province, China five years ago. "I feel safe now. Those thugs looked like they had ties with the mafia. Their harassment was a threat to us as well. Their recent disturbance has caused worries to the general public; we all feel nervous. Falun Gong practitioners are very brave, they used this opportunity to dig out those evil networks; it is good for all of us."
The return of the center has also brought the attention of Westerners in Flushing as well. Oscar Vanegas, an engineer who has resided in the U.S. for more than 35 years, told an Epoch Times reporter that he was happy to see the center returned to its original location.
Feeds