Jyllands-Posten (Danish newspaper): Demonstrations crawled along through the city

24 September 2002 (by Carsten Ellegaard)

The biggest demonstration during the Danish chairmanship so far was represented by a group of Falun Gong [practitioners] yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday afternoon, [..] with quiet Chinese music as background, between 200 and 300 [practitioners] and supporters of the Chinese Falun Gong movement moved slowly through downtown Copenhagen.

With great dignity and complete peacefulness, the Falun Gong [practitioners] from Denmark, as well as from others countries including China, Poland, Germany, Holland and France, turned the attention to the suppression the movement is exposed to in China.

In the front of the procession, a large group dressed in white, were walking along. They were carrying frames of photos, decorated with flowers, of Chinese citizens, who allegedly have been tortured to death in Chinese custody. According to the Falun Gong movement’s banners, at least 477 persons who have been tortured to death.

The demonstration ended at Christiansborg Castle Square (a square outside the Parliament building), where representatives of Falun Gong delivered a letter of appeal to the Prime Minister’s Office.

The number of demonstrators was by far the biggest during the ongoing Asian-European Summit meeting – ASEM4 – that takes place yesterday and today in Bella Centre. Falun Gong [practitioners] are in Copenhagen partly to make the many journalists who are in town pay attention to the message[..].

Already from early morning, Falun Gong [practitioners] inhabited the streets of Copenhagen. Near Bella Centre a group thus meditated, while a pro-Chinese welcome committee with national flags cheered the Prime Minister, as he arrived at the meeting. Even though the two groups were right next to each other, everything passed off peacefully.

Last night Falun Gong [practitioners] held candlight vigils at Copenhagen’s squares – among others New Square and Kings New Square – in memory of the persecution victims. The Falun Gong protests continue today.[..]