Changchun Police Arrest Attendees of "Open Trial"

Eyewitness Accounts at the District Court of Changchun City on March 6th

Changchun City, Jilin Province

Eyewitness Account (I)
Today, the Nanguan District Court of Changchun City unjustly sentenced thirteen innocent Falun Dafa practitioners. Out of concern for the fates of these fellow practitioners, and to express my support for the justice these practitioners uphold, I went to the court hearing.
When I arrived there at 8:10 a.m., police vehicles and policemen were guarding all the intersections. There were a total of about 1,000 police officers, including plainclothes officers. Police were everywhere within a range of 200-300 meters of the courthouse. Quite a few practitioners had arrived nearby, and everyone stood there quietly.

At 8:40, people were unfairly ushered towards the Makewei Seafood Plaza across the street from the courthouse. At around 9 o'clock, the police suddenly encircled the group and began arresting people. Among those arrested were some non-practitioners. Altogether, two large buses and ten small cars drove away filled with people who had been arrested. According to practitioners who were located in other spots, some police hid in alleys and rushed towards anyone who came close to the courthouse. Those who passed by, stood, or stopped were all subject to arrest. Practitioners who refused to cooperate were kicked and forced into the vehicles. The scene was quite violent and sad.

By 9:20 a.m. there were almost no practitioners left in the area, but the police were still around.
This is a so-called "open trial" in today's Mainland China. A "public trial" that cannot be seen by the public, and one that the authorities dare not let the public see.

Eyewitness Account (II)

Today the Nanguan District Court of Changchun City was supposed to hold a public trial for Falun Dafa practitioners at 8:30 a.m. Between 7:00 and 8:00, police vehicles with special plates or other local plates were everywhere within a 500-meter distance of the courthouse along the North- and South-bound streets. Similar vehicles were also visible nearby along the East- and West-bound streets. The total number of police vehicles was around one hundred, and each was full of police officers. In an alley south of the courthouse, there were ten vehicles filled with riot police. There were also two fire department vehicles carrying armed police. Plainclothes police were also stationed in the nearby stores, banks, food markets, and residential buildings.

At around 8:30, traffic police suddenly sealed off the nearby roads. At the same time, police, armed police, and plainclothes rushed out to beat pedestrians and onlookers in this area. In the alley, on the street, and inside and outside the stores, violence and evil permeated the air. One practitioner saw four women being arrested from a residential building. He didn't know what the reason was, and only heard one of the four ladies ask, "Why am I being arrested? What did I do?" Over a dozen people standing on the sidewalk opposite the courthouse were suddenly surrounded by police and dragged into police cars without being given any chance to contest or explain. Even old ladies standing on the sidewalk were not left out. Vicious police officers lifted these old ladies by their arms and, claiming that they had to have a talk and dragged them away. These harrowing arrests were carried out in broad daylight. It is unknown how many people were arrested that day.

http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2002/3/16/19899.html
http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2002/3/7/26184.html