Heavy Police Presence Keeps Violence at Bay in Flushing

NEW YORK—Day 12 of a bizarre campaign of attacks against Falun Gong practitioners in New York's Flushing was marked by a heavy police presence. Although the scene seemed relatively quiet compared to previous days, at least a dozen people seen instigating turmoil since May 17 were conspicuously present near a large group of Falun Gong practitioners holding signs and meditating.

The silent demonstration was an effort to inform the community about the growing movement to withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its related organizations. Many Falun Gong practitioners in the group were affiliated with Flushing's Service Center to Quit the CCP, which has been operating there for the past four years. The past two weeks have been the first time the service center and those operating it have been attacked.

There were several small outbreaks of people shouting at practitioners throughout the day, but no incidents of violence or attacks on practitioners were reported during the day.

Instigating Violence

The tense but relatively controlled atmosphere today came on the heels of a violent attack against an older woman on Tuesday.

A graphic home video obtained by The Epoch Times shows a New York woman being attacked by an unidentified Chinese male. According to an eyewitness, the assailant punched and knocked over 57-year-old Queens resident Weixing Wang—and then evaded police by feigning unconsciousness and ignorance, leaving the scene without consequence.

"He [the attacker] was cursing at a lady … and suddenly, with a big fist, he punched her in the chest, and then with both hands pushed her to the ground," said Juliana Hu, a tourist visiting New York from Australia.

The attack occurred just steps from Flushing's main library, at the site of the Service Center for Quitting the CCP, where many Chinese have registered their break with the CCP over the past four years.

Sudden Change in Climate

Withdrawing from the CCP in Flushing in the past four years has largely been a peaceful exercise, but this scene has rapidly changed since May 17, when a large pro-Chinese communist crowd gathered to counter a rally held to highlight over 37 million withdrawals from the CCP and related organizations.

Many Chinese-language media also appeared to mobilize in force, later publishing only the Party line—unfounded allegations that Falun Gong practitioners, who comprise most of the volunteers of the Service Center for Quitting the CCP, were interfering with the Sichuan earthquake relief fundraising. Later, New York Chinese Consul General Peng Keyu was caught on tape boasting of the consulate's involvement with the mobs. "We encouraged them secretly," he said.

Since then, police have arrested at least six of the mob instigators. Still, instances of mob participants chanting extreme slogans, some of which are being assessed for hate content, have been recorded.

Service center volunteers and Falun Gong practitioners have repeatedly received death threats. Individuals have been punched, pushed, kicked, and spat upon, with many of the perpetrators enjoying impunity—Wang's story being simply the most recent example.