FLUSHING, New York City—Following weeks of violent attacks that began on May 17, the streets of Flushing, Queens returned to a relatively normal state over the weekend. Despite some isolated incidents on June 7 and 8, many people were taking Epoch Times newspapers and withdrawing from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
A series of violent attacks started in Flushing on May 17 and have continued for three weeks.
The attacks were initially targeted toward a street booth dubbed the Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party on Main Street in Flushing. The Service Center assists Chinese to resign from the CCP and its related organizations. To date, over 38 million people worldwide have withdrawn.
It is widely believed that the Chinese Consulate in New York instigated and encouraged the attacks. Chinese Consul General Keyu Peng admitted in a telephone conversation that he personally went to the scene to thank the attackers.
Saturday's activities in Flushing included a press conference with a Falun Gong practitioner who was violently attacked during the weeks of unrest. Judy Chen was joined by her son, Corporal John Lee Caldwell, 26, who came home to New York from North Carolina's Second Marine Division when he heard what happened to his mom.
"Whoever attacked my mother, they are still out there running around," said Caldwell. "You will be caught. No one threatens my mom and no one threatens my family and the lives of innocent people practicing what they believe in and their right to freedom of speech, press, and religion."
Caldwell's mother was beaten and threatened with death by a pro-communist mob during violent attacks against Falun Gong practitioners in Flushing on May 20. Chen has been practicing Falun Gong for eight years and is a volunteer at the Service Center.
The atmosphere on Sunday was relatively calm, and Service Center volunteers reported that 30 people withdrew from the CCP. At least seven withdrew on Saturday.
Group Surrounds Elderly Woman
Despite the largely diffused violence in Flushing, according to witnesses on Sunday more than 10 men surrounded an elderly Falun Gong practitioner in a threatening manner. Jean Hartman, who arrived on the scene during the incident, described the woman as very short at under 5 feet.
"It seemed to me they [the mob] were targeting the weakest," said Hartman.
Hartman and her friend Dongdong Zhang, both from Michigan, were joined at the scene by two other Falun Gong practitioners. The presence of several Falun Gong practitioners seemed to cause the group of men to disband. Two men did not leave the scene, but refused to engage in conversation.
Hartman added that she noticed a man nearby, in his mid-30s or early 40s, dressed in a green plaid dress shirt, who signaled to the two men with a nod of his head, causing them to leave quickly.
Other minor disturbances occurred during the weekend. According to Service Center manager Yi Rong, a man named Wei Jia set up boards defaming Falun Gong by the Flushing subway stop, under the auspices of the Chinese Democracy and Justice Party (CDJP). Another staff member at the Service Center said he also saw Wei Jia on Sunday morning with reputed CCP agent Raymond Xia, also known as Shi Lei. Service Center volunteers on Main Street also noticed a man carrying anti-Falun Gong boards setting up on Main Street by the Flushing Library around noon. Joy Zhou and Lian Zhang of Boston said they saw the chain of events. According to Zhou, she witnessed "more than 10 men" gathering around him, who were very loud, as if they were "trying to get someone's attention."
The group did eventually get the attention of the police. According to Zhang, when they started arguing, she went to get the police. "The police asked the guy to take his stuff and leave."
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