The story of the appeal of 36 Westerner Falun Gong practitioners in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Nov. 20, 2001.
When your beliefs are strong and you have a solid conviction about what is right and what is wrong, it is difficult to stop such a person. These 36 individuals, strong each one of them, acted as a defiant group in front of the formidable force.
By protesting in the heart of the communist country, this group shone another spotlight on the persecution of members of the group in China. It has been twenty years since their act, but it is not forgotten as the struggle continues.
Falun Gong practitioners from 12 countries pose for a group photo before making an appeal at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, on Nov. 20, 2001. (Courtesy of Adam Leining)
Key Takeaways:
- In 1999, the CCP began cracking down on practitioners of Falun Gong.
- 36 practitioners from 12 countries arranged to gather in Tiananmen Square to meditate and unfurl a banner.
- Police cracked down on the demonstration with violence, and Chipkar videotaped it from a distance.
Westerners are surrounded by Chinese police officers and police vehicles in Tiananmen Square after unfurling a Falun Gong banner and sitting in a meditation position on Nov. 20, 2001. The group was later taken away and detained by police. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
“Chipkar stopped himself while at some distance from the group. He recognized a few faces, but thought it wise not to greet anyone. Drawing any attention to himself could be detrimental to the plan.”
