German Police’s Public Mission Statement: “The Police, Your Friend and Helper”

Sunday, May 12, 2002

I am a practitioner from Hamburg, Germany. I would like to relate my experiences with the German police. It all started when I was assigned to apply by telephone for a permit with the appropriate authority, to hold a spontaneous demonstration in front of the PRC-Consulate in Hamburg. I was quite nervous and had to overcome my apprehension, but things went smoothly, there was no problem and the police officers were friendly.

Since that moment I was the one to whom people turned when they needed permits for any activity in front of the Chinese consulate. Since I somehow had fallen into this role, I wanted to do a good job and have taken it as my responsibility to make sure that we always have the correct permits.

The Ambassador did not like to see us in front of the embassy and had in the beginning tried everything in his power to get us to stay away, but with the aid and assistance of personnel from the local police precinct as well as the permit-issuing office, those embassy attempts were foiled.

I have come to know several of these police officers much better since I had numerous conversations with them and they have also come to know us. At the beginning [of our demonstration in front of the consulate, two police cruisers manned by two people each kept watch over the appeal. Now there is only one police car with one officer stationed close by.

The police officers witnessed our actions as those of peaceful demonstrators, something they had never before experienced. On the one hand I think that they are fascinated by our behaviour, but on the other hand they know for sure that we will not give them cause for any action on their part, because nothing adverse is happening.

I have learned to appreciate this police contact and consider it important, because we can depend on their support and the police officers can depend on us, thus having established a relationship of mutual trust.

Twice now I have been to the police precinct and spoken with the personnel in charge. The first time I went with my then girlfriend who is now my wife. Six officers were present and I thought we would have dealings with only one of them. I was wrong. I used this opportunity to clarify the truth to them about the practitioners’ persecution in China and about Falun Gong. I used this opportunity so well that we had dialogue for almost an hour. In the beginning I had a hard time speaking, but as time progressed it got easier and easier. When we had a second opportunity to speak, there were only two officers present and the conversation was somewhat more relaxed.

I think of the two hundred officers assigned to this precinct, each of them have stood in front of the Chinese embassy at least once. Each one got a flyer and other information as well as a newspaper. I noticed that the newspaper was pinned to the police precinct’s bulletin board, to let other officers know. It was not all my doing- it probably happened that way because they all had awaited for this for a long time.

They contemplated to remove even the last officer from this post [when we demonstrate] but that does not seem to sit right with someone. Every time we arrive in front of the consulate before the police officer has arrived, the embassy calls the precinct, inquiring where their security officer is. The only thing that the embassy employee gains from this is to lose his last ounce of respect – he becomes a laughing stock.

When we held a small-scale demonstration in Oldenburg, the police entities there, on the advice of Mr. Mueller from IGFM (International Association for Human Rights), contacted the police in Hamburg to inform themselves about our group. As a result, the police authorities in Oldenburg decided they did not need to send any officers for “protection.” We could hold our walk through town unimpeded. Only two officers showed up to tell us that we were on our own and then they left. Everything went off without a hitch.

The police in Goslar were astounded that our demonstration and the march went off so peacefully. At the beginning of the march a police car manned by two officers lead our marchers and a contingent of officers in protective clothing and riot gear, carrying sticks,
walked at the end of our column. When the march was over, the accompanying officers told the security authorities by cell phone that nothing happened. They then went over to stand along a row of houses. When they noticed that we were only doing the exercises, they walked away toward their police bus. Even the leaders of the security contingent were surprised [at our peaceful conduct]. After I had spoken with them and assured them that we were only going to demonstrate the exercises, send forth righteous thoughts and would only distribute flyers, they still could not hide their astonishment. Soon even the people in charge had largely faded from view.

A few hours later an officer approached me and asked me to accompany him. He took me to a spot where other practitioners demonstrated the exercises and told persecution stories from China to the people who had gathered around. Everywhere I looked I saw practitioners I had never noticed before. The officer asked me to tell these practitioners to please vacate their spot and return to the one we had for which we had a permit, because these practitioners here were in a restricted zone. Immediately I asked around to find out what was going on and looked at the total picture of the whole situation. I could not make up my mind what to do. I told the officer that I had to check with someone else. The practitioners then told me that they would persist until they had finished what they needed to tell people. The officer asked me then whether I agreed with their standpoint. I began to smile and told him yes, I did. I then told him what this was all about; he listened attentively and then allowed the practitioners to continue what they were doing. When this spontaneous demonstration and witness to the persecution had finished, the practitioners sang in unison “Falun Dafa Hao.” (Falun Dafa is good). It was harmonious and beautiful, something even the police officers could not help but notice. Then the practitioners dispersed and the power of Dafa was felt everywhere.

(Original text in German)

Reported by practitioner in Germany