Tens of Thousands Appeal in Beijing

Swarms of slogan-shouting petitioners in Beijing are challenging the CCP ahead of the party’s 90th anniversary.

Swarms of slogan-shouting petitioners in Beijing are challenging the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ahead of the party’s 90th anniversary, some of them yelling: “Knock down the Chinese Communist Party!”

To clean up the streets for the 90th anniversary celebrations of the CCP’s establishment, Beijing authorities have launched another round of arrests against the continuous stream of aggrieved citizens from all around the country who come to Beijing to making appeals to higher level regime offices.

Yet, there were still more than 10,000 people who made appeals at the petitions offices of the State Council and the National People’s Congress on June 27.

Among the petitioners were about 100 retired military officers and soldiers who fought in the “Self Defense War” against Vietnam in 1979. They formed a squadron and shouted slogans, including, “Knock down the Chinese Communist Party!”

A person at the scene told Sound of Hope Radio (SOH) on the telephone: “There were so many people there that it blocked the road. The group of [protesting] military personnel shouted ‘No corruption! No venal officials! No Chinese Communist Party!’ Most of the people who rallied there followed their shouting [lead]. There was probably a crowd of 10,000 people. I think the number definitely exceeded 7,000.”

Another petitioner told SOH, “The situation went out of control around noon. People were not allowed to enter the petition office afterwards. A great number of people were intercepted and arrested on their way toward the office.”

Li Li, who came from Shanxi Province, told New Tang Dynasty Television: “I hate them bitterly and deeply from my heart. The CCP is a party of bandits and rogues. The party’s suppression against the general public goes far beyond what bandits do. It oppresses the general public and deprives them of their properties. We hope the party fall apart.”

Li said the scale of petitioners and the scale of interceptions were both several times higher than in the past, and petitioners were even prevented from staying at hotels.

“We were turned away at this hotel soon after the hotel realized we were petitioners. They received warnings from the police that a fine of 10,000 yuan (US$1,545) would be implemented if they provided accommodations to petitioners or Falun Gong practitioners. There are so many people pouring into Beijing. Right now, lodging is very hard to arrange. You can’t stay at the petition village; a large scale search and arrest were just conducted there two days ago,” Li told Radio Free Asia.

The situation in Beijing is a stark contrast to the headline posted on the State Bureau of Letters and Calls website, which says: “Praises of love and gratitude for the party. Follow the party’s path. All circles of the nation write letters to the Central Committee to congratulate the party on its 90th anniversary.”

The original article was reported by New Tang Dynasty Television.