Chinese Police rounded up close to 1,000 members of the outlawed Falungong spiritual group at a protest in Tiananmen Square on Sunday, China's national day.
The protest was the largest by the group since it was
banned as an evil cult in July last year.
The Falungong members, who had announced their intention to gather several days ago, surged onto the square at around 8:15 am carrying banners and leaflets.
They were beaten, dragged and shoved into buses and vans by police.
An army unit of 500 soldiers surrounded the centre of the
square, stopping people entering.
But groups of up to 50 people rushed into the middle of
the square, where they unveiled banners and were immediately arrested by police. After one group was arrested, other groups followed.
Protesters were kicked, punched and pushed onto buses. A
woman with a small child in her arms was hit by police. Several children among the protesters were also arrested.
The Falungong members continued shouting Falun Dafa is
good. It's the real law, using another name for Falungong.
An AFP reporter saw around 10 buses with 50 followers aboard and 15 police vans with up to 25 practitioners each
on the square, which was filled with tourists.
By 9:45 am, the centre of the square had been reopened,
but smaller groups of up to 20 people were continuing to
protest.
Bureau Report
