FLUSHING, New York City—A recent incident in Flushing between a pro-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) supporter and the staff of a quit Chinese Communist Party (CCP) booth reveals that while the environment in Flushing has improved, tensions still exist—and residents may be tiring of the attacks.
Falun Gong practitioners were distributing materials at one of Flushing's five Service Centers for Quitting the CCP on June 11 when an elderly Chinese woman approached the group, cursing them aggressively.
A Chinese man passing by heard the older woman cursing, approached her, and told her that she was the one being cheated by the CCP. The woman began shouting loudly, pointed at Falun Gong practitioners and started to walk away.
Ally Wang, 18, was taking a photograph of the incident when the angry agitator turned on her, striking the camera. The woman then began walking back towards the Service Center, and police officers on site intervened.
"The woman came towards me and hit my camera," said Wang. "The policeman immediately pushed her away and kept telling her that in the U.S., I have the right to take anyone's picture.
"They pushed her to the intersection, but she rushed back. She was acting crazy and ridiculous," added Wang.
The woman continued to shout slanderous statements when another lady nearby grabbed the camera from Wang's hand.
"The policeman was right by my side, he took it back and gave it to me and said to her, 'Never do that again,'" said Wang.
'We All Read It'
Police on site managed to calm the situation when still another woman came and began cursing at the Falun Gong practitioners. According to Wang, the woman then said, "No one reads your newspaper" (referring to the Chinese version of The Epoch Times ).
"Surprisingly, 4 to 5 people all turned to her and said, 'We all read it!' She didn't say anything and left," said Wang.
This latest incident occurred at the intersection of Sanford Avenue and Main St in Flushing, where in this same area May 17 a violent mob of CCP supporters attacked Service Center volunteers —made up mostly of Falun Gong practitioners.
The organized mobs—often numbering in the hundreds—continued to appear over the next few weeks, physically and verbally assaulting Service Center staffers.
The World Organization for the Investigation of the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG) investigated the incidents, and caught on tape a Chinese government official admitting his role in organizing and instigating the attacks.
Falun Gong practitioners have been persecuted by China's communist regime since 1999.
The Service Centers for Quitting the CCP are located in Chinese communities throughout the world, allowing Chinese expatriates to publicly withdraw from the Party's organizations. A Service Center rally—honoring a purported 37 million withdrawals by Chinese around the world—was being held in Flushing May 17, when the disruptions began.
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