Citizens Publicly Speak Out Against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at Recent Court Hearings Implicating Falun Gong Practitioners

Unjust trials of Falun Gong practitioners were held on at least three recent occasions at the Eighth Court of Tangshan City, Fengrun District Court. Members of the public in and around the courthouse expressed their exasperation with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its persecution of Falun Gong.

Mr. Yang Guoguang was tried on August 6th, 2012. Dozens of people, including more than 20 of Mr. Yang's family members, lined up that morning to get passes to observe the court proceedings. A gentleman passing by who learned that this was a trial of a Falun Gong practitioner, repeatedly told the three police officers guarding the door, “The Chinese Communist Party is finished!”

Yang's father approached his son to speak with him during the court recess but the police blocked him. Yang's family members then shouted loudly, “Yang Guoguang, we know you are a good person.” Two people who witnessed this were told how Yang was abducted from his home, and that his father was not allowed to see him. Disgusted, the two shouted out from the court entrance that the CCP is unreasonable and bullies everyday people.

Mr. Li Yushu was tried a few weeks later, on the morning of August 28th, 2012. Mr. Li's family members sat on the curb outside the courtroom after the proceedings and an elderly gentleman asked them what was going on. They told him that the court was about to sentence Mr. Li and that the family was so upset that one of them had a heart attack. The gentleman told them, “Your family is innocent of what it has been charged with, but the court is biased toward the rich. Poor people like us have no power to appeal these days. The CCP is overbearing and unreasonable. They do not follow the law. It's hard for everyday people to live a good life. We should all be strong like Falun Gong practitioners.”

In a third incident, the charges against Mr. Gu Youwen were heard at Fengrun District Court on September 11th, 2012. Mr. Gu loudly cried, “Falun Gong is good” as he was led from the police car into the building.

On the way back to the police car after the trial, he again called out, “Falun Gong is good.” Dozens of bystanders who witnessed the event repeated Mr. Gu's cries, loudly calling out, “Falun Gong is good.”

Police were on hand to videotape both Mr. Gu and the assembled crowd calling out “Falun Gong is good.” Various officials, including Deputy Director Qian Limin and others from the Fengrun District 610 Office, saw it as they hid in their cars at the court gate. All the while, plainclothes police officers patrolled the area.