FLUSHING, New York City—After having endured verbal and physical attacks directed against them recently in Flushing, N.Y., Falun Gong adherents met with representatives from the New York Police Department (NYPD) on June 5 to discuss their rights.
Accompanied by civil rights attorney Norman Siegel, three volunteer spokespersons for Falun Gong met with the NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Legal Affairs Andrew Schaffer and two of his senior attorneys to discuss their rights according to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The meeting, held at One Police Plaza addressed the issue of the organized mob in Flushing, which has directed physical and verbal attacks on Falun Gong practitioners, volunteers at the local Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party, as well as Epoch Times reporters.
"I'd characterize the meeting as serious and positive. Positive in a sense that they recognized our complaint that their First Amendment rights were not being respected and protected. They said that they would, in the future, respect and protect the First Amendment rights," said Siegel.
"We showed an approximately five minute videotape of what happened in Flushing in May of 2008," said Siegel. "The three officials of the Police Department watched it, they observed it, and I think there was a general consensus in the room that what was on the video tape and what happened, I believe, on May 20 of 2008, is unacceptable and that that cannot and should not continue ever again."
"The Deputy Commissioner acknowledged that the police department had an affirmative obligation to protect Falun Gong's First Amendment right to peaceful protest in Flushing, in Chinatown, and throughout the City of New York," said Siegel.
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which ensures the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and religion, to all people within the United States, was discussed by Siegel, "This is a principle that is fundamental in American society. It's a principle that is the cornerstone of how we live and work in the City of New York."
Siegel continued: "For anyone in the City, including the community in Flushing, who does not respect that principle, they should understand that that's un-American. Today we received a commitment from the Police Department that people who do not respect that fundamental right will be put on notice that if they physically interfere, assault people, or take people's property, that they will subject themselves to criminal prosecution."
In response to the events in Flushing, Gail Rachlin, one of the spokespersons for Falun Gong who attended the meeting with the NYPD said, "I think it's shocking, as an American, that this could be happening in our backyard. Who do they think they are, truly? Does Beijing think they can come here and infiltrate our society? We have rules, we have regulations, and now the police fully behind us protecting our rights."
Previous reports on the issue by The Epoch Times show scenes of mob violence, hate crimes, and other forms of attacks by pro-communist Chinese groups. The Epoch Times also reported on a voice recording of Peng Keyu, the Chinese Consul General in New York, admitting that he had encouraged the mob attacks.
Reports have also shown that the Chinese regime has helped to spread hatred into Chinese communities through its state-controlled media in the United States and in China, by broadcasting false accusations and lies that Falun Gong practitioners were blocking donations from getting to earthquake victims in Sichuan Province.
While addressing what she believes to be the motivations by the Chinese communist regime for the slander and attacks, Rachlin stated, "I think that with the Beijing Olympics coming up, some of what's happening is a backlash that is trying to make us look bad even in America and other places around the world so that they can get away with things. With the Beijing Olympics, I think that they expect some of us to be there to protest so they want to make us look bad in people's eyes. I think that's part of their strategy."
Also attending the meeting was Falun Gong spokesperson Erping Zhang, who said, "What happened in Flushing was a typical form of interference by the communist government on U.S. soil, but it resulted in violence and defamation. This is a typical hate crime because Falun Gong practitioners are being attacked and insulted because of their spiritual beliefs. It's a violation of their constitutional rights."