members of local Chinese associations
attacked Argentine practitioners of the
Falun Dafa spiritual discipline (also
known as Falun Gong) who were
protesting on Friday, July 18, as the
visit of Chinese leader Xi Jinping
began.
The attackers were believed to have
been organized by the Chinese
Embassy. Chinese embassies around
the world typically gather local Chinese
residents to greet visiting Chinese
officials while crowding out protesters.
In a related incident on Saturday, the
Chinese vice military attaché in
Argentina was taken away by police
after physically threatening the Falun
Dafa practitioners and resisting police.
On Friday the Falun Dafa practitioners
protested peacefully on the sidewalk
opposite the Sheraton Hotel located in
Retiro, where the Chinese leader Xi
Jinping was staying. They were holding
signs urging Xi to end the ongoing
persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners
in China.
Argentine practitioners gathered from
early morning across the street with
banners reading "Falun Dafa is good,"
dressed in yellow shirts and jackets,
and they informed passersby about the
persecution of Falun Dafa in China.
Many passersby expressed
astonishment and indignation after
hearing about the current persecution
of millions of Falun Dafa practitioners
in China for the past 15 years.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.