FLUSHING, New York—The Flushing Chinatown was host to close to 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners Saturday as members of the spiritual practice and supporters rallied to encourage the area's Chinese community to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The event, which featured triumphant marching-band style music and speakers from pro-democracy groups, sent a clear message to the community that the CCP is responsible for recent disruptions in Flushing and that Chinese-language media's claims that Falun Gong practitioners oppose Sichuan earthquake relief donations are groundless. Meanwhile, across the street, close to a dozen Chinese people protested against Falun Gong practitioners, apparently for criticizing the regime that rules their motherland.
The scene stood in stark contrast to the situation in Flushing two weeks ago when as many as 500 local Chinese gathered in an angry mob around 20 Falun Gong practitioners who regularly staff the Service Center for Quitting the CCP in a public area.
In a recorded phone conversation obtained by The Epoch Times , New York Chinese Consul General Keyu Peng admitted to having incited the mob to disrupt, intimidate, and attack Falun Gong practitioners in Flushing.
"It's actually only a small group of Chinese who support what the CCP is doing. The majority know it is wrong and support Falun Gong in opposing the CCP," said Wei Jingsheng, a prominent Chinese pro-democracy activist, in his speech at the rally.
"After all, why did Chinese people come here to the United States in the first place? To get away from the violence of the CCP. What Falun Gong is doing I applaud. They represent all Chinese people," said Wei.
Many Chinese-language media outlets, which are known to be either directly owned or influenced by the CCP, initially carried heavy coverage of the anti-Falun Gong protests.
CCP Incites Flushing Mobs
Their reports claimed Falun Gong practitioners at the Service Center for Quitting the CCP, "do not care about the victims of the Sichuan earthquake," and "do not love China." Their reports also claimed that Falun Gong practitioners had disrupted donations for Sichuan earthquake relief.
"They told lies about Falun Gong not supporting the earthquake victims, but Chinese people know the truth," said Chairman of the China Peace and Democracy Alliance Tang Baiqiao in his speech at the event.
Tang, as well as other speakers, highlighted the CCP's reluctance to inform the public about warnings it had received from seismologists before the Sichuan earthquake on May 12 that has killed at least 70,000 people. Tang and others also spoke of the poor construction of school buildings— often referred to as "Jell-O buildings"—that led to a large number of children being killed during the catastrophe.
"They build Jell-O buildings for schools and then no warnings were properly given to the people, despite the government knowing of the earthquake," said Mr. Zhisheng, who is also a member of the China Peace and Democracy Federation.
"I feel that people withdrawing from the CCP will eventually save more lives than the rescue workers could," he said.