A Pro-Beijing Group Is Heckling Falun Gong and Failing at It

The usual suspects are harassing peaceful meditators in New York, and New Yorkers have wised up to their act.

Over 8,000 Falun Gong practitioners participate in a grand parade for World Falun Dafa Day in 42nd Street, as Chinese Communist members walk in front with hate speech against the practice in Manhattan on May 15, 2015. This photo has been modified to remove the hate speech. Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times

For four days in mid-May, several familiar Chinese faces were harassing the activities of peaceful meditators in the streets of New York. This scene has played out numerous times for over half a decade, but it’s unclear if the hecklers are actually achieving any objective at all.

Over 8,000 practitioners of Falun Gong celebrated World Falun Dafa Day in New York from May 12 to May 15. Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese discipline that incorporates slow moving exercises and adherence to the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.

At the numerous activities organized—practice demonstrations in Times Square, a march across Brooklyn Bridge, an experience sharing conference, and a large parade on 42nd Street—about a dozen middle-aged Chinese men and women, typically wearing baseball caps and sunglasses, could be spotted loitering nearby.

They're fighting against the spirit of America—human rights, humanity and compassion.

— Mr. Lee, A Flushing resident