Article from Danish newspaper Villabyerne: “Falun Gong Returns to the Chinese Embassy”

July 9 2003

The case was considered for a year. This long period of time was needed before practitioners of Falun Gong were allowed to return to their permanent demonstration spot on the pavement in front of the Chinese embassy on Oregaards Allé in Hellerup.

Every day, a small group of faithful Falun Gong practitioners have been demonstrating against the persecution they believe is happening to practitioners of the movement. Calmly and with dignity, the practitioners have expressed their dismay. However, the demonstrations were a thorn in the side of the Chinese embassy, which, last year in June, wrote a letter of complaint to the police in Gentofte, accusing Falun Gong of upsetting law and order.

The consequence of this was that the practitioners had to move to the street corner. Here they continued their daily demonstration and meditation.

This Monday they were finally able to move back to their original location. During the weekend, Falun Gong received a letter from the Ministry of Justice which guaranteed them their constitutional rights.

Apparently, the Chinese embassy weren’t informed about the decision. In any case, they immediately contacted Gentofte police department claiming that the demonstrators were obstructing the entrance when they were back in their former position. The police arrived soon after but found that all regulations had been observed, after which they drove away.

“The embassy is trying to harass us in all kind of ways. Earlier on they [falsely] accused us of using a megaphone, and during our meditation, they turn on a big motorised garden machine in order to cause disturbance. This latest complaint to the police in Gentofte is another case of harassment”, says Marco Hsu, Chairman of the Falun Gong Association in Denmark.

The Danish born Chairman is nevertheless happy about the Ministry of Justice’s decision: “It did take a year to get this far but we do, however, understand that politically it was a difficult case. To us it’s a question of principles that our constitutional rights are guaranteed and that a foreign authority doesn’t preside over the Danish authority.”