i honestly don’t care about falun gong, as far as i’m concerned they are like JW of chinese cult practice. frankly i’m tired of sects trying to promote themselves via flyers, etc. it’s bullshit.

Cult or not, if they participated before they should be allowed to participate again. CCP should have no bearing on CNY. And people shouldn’t be tortured like that. Look at the pictures on the HRWG site.

While I don’t agree with their views on bi-racial children being denied access to heaven and their inter-stellar teachings, I do think for the most part they are peaceful. I mean, at least they aren’t scientologists ;)

But in all seriousness, the abuses they have experienced at the hands of the CCP are disgusting. And as Loki said, Chinese Law should have no bearing on the San Francisco festivities.

Try were allowed before. But try broke parade rules by passing out flyers. why don’t you Falunies mention this?

Hey Tinnie, welcome to the site. I wasn’t aware of that. They just said they were blocked this year. What rules did they break?

We’re not Falunies, rather we were alerted to their oppression and Dreamlogic stands against the demonishment of Civil Rights in any country..

I personally don’t think it’s right that they violated the parade rules, but that’s not really the point here.. the fact that many defenseless women and the elderly are beaten and sometimes murdered through these beatings just for peacefully praying or chanting is preposterous.

I guess since we can’t do that here in the “good ‘ol USA”, we revert to public namecalling: the Chamber of Commerce posted an ad in the SF Chronicle naming the Falun Gongs “homophobic”…

FROM SFGATE.COM: The Chinese Chamber of Commerce lashed out Monday against Falun Gong, the controversial spiritual movement fighting to gain a berth in the Chinese New Year Parade, with large advertisements in The Chronicle and three local Chinese-language newspapers.

The quarter-page ad in The Chronicle calls Falun Gong a homophobic cult and questions why Supervisor Fiona Ma, who draws much of her support in the Chinese community, has supported Falun Gong.

“San Franciscans expect their elected officials to stand up for the rights of individuals,” said Ma, who is running for the San Francisco Assembly seat. “I do not agree with everything Falun Gong stands for. But this is America, and they should be able to participate in public events their tax dollars support.”

The parade has an annual budget of more than $800,000, $77,000 of it from the city.

Joseph Breall, an attorney for Falun Gong, compared the advertisement to red-baiting in the 1950s.

“If you want to demonize someone in San Francisco, you call them homophobic,” he said, adding that the Chinese Chamber was further politicizing the issue with its ads even though it rejected Falun Gong for being too political. MORE…

Being on the new year’s parade is not a basic human right, it’s a privilage. And FLG’s being persecuted in China doesn’t mean they should get compensated in U.S.

Hey Chris, great site, btw.

The Chinese Parade has always been about culture and not politics; because of strained relations between China and Taiwan. It’s been a rule that participants aren’t supposed to make the Parade a platform for politicking. The last time Falun Gong was in the parade, they were passing out tracts and leaflets, expressly against Parade rules.

“I personally don’t think it’s right that they violated the parade rules, but that’s not really the point here..”

Of course that’s the point! You expect people to treat your POV and ideas with respect, yet you trample over other people’s rules. You don’t have a basic human right to be on a parade… Falun Gong members being persecuted in China doesn’t make a difference here.

As for Faloonies being homophobic, what else do you call it, when your religion claims that homosexual activities causes a black substance to enter a man’s body?

How about your views on mix marriages? You guys are homophobic and xenophobic, hmmm, just like the folks back in Red China… you guys are no better than the people persecuting you… if you have your way, you’d probably be beating up on gays and mix races.

Thanks Tinnie, but I must say Kris is the one that has made this site what it is today.

I wasn’t aware of the non-politicking rule, but you must admit there’s no better event for them to protest at as far as media coverage is concerned. If they want to get the message out about the torture in China the Chinese New Years parade is the place to be. I mean they can expect crews from Channel 7, 2, 5, etc, to all be in CT, not to mention a larger than normal crowd of tourists.

On the other hand I don’t think the the committee would enforce the ban on the old man who has the sign about Bush and Blair being the devil or the 12 galaxies guy (I haven’t seen him in CT lately though), though, granted, they aren’t leafletting and most likely don’t care about being in the parade.

In my opinion the homophobic ad was a low blow, due to the fact the ad was published in San Francisco. Even though there’s truth to the statement (and also equivalent statements about officials in the Roman Catholic church), it’s like undermining a political candidates campaign by publishing an ad in a community known for a specific ethnicity stating “Candidate X hates your race”. It’s starts a vicious mudslinging cycle rather than getting to the issues at hand.

Like I said before, I don’t agree with their teachings (Kris and I are a mixed race couple. We have spent over 5 years together and are getting married this year *WOOHOO*) but Kris and I do think to deny them a platform to express their grievances would be to deny them of their civil rights as Americans.

One last question about the previous parade though. Were the performers handing out tracts or just the protestors? Maybe if they set up a section at an extremity of Grant street specifically for them to protest in, on the condition that performers wouldn’t be able to participate in the protests?

I dunno. Back to this later :)

Media-wise its the best event for them to do their protest. That’s why it isn’t allowed. The rule isn’t just for them, its for every group that wants to participate in the parade. The Chinese community isn’t one homogenous group in San Francisco, every group has its own agenda. Letting anyone turn the Parade into a political platform will tear the whole thing up. This is the one event that every Chinese faction can get together peacefully.

The fact that they went into the parade and deliberately ignored the rules, tell you how much they respect another organization. On the other hand, the 12 Galaxy guy isn’t going to submitting a float for the parade anytime soon.

As for setting up an area for them to protest, that would just defeat the whole purpose of the Parade being non-political, wouldn’t it?

Bottom line, the Parade is to celebrate our heritage and wish everyone a prosperous new year, not to get into deep political fights; you got the rest of the year to do that.

I bet you’re a fan of the movie Hostel, Tinnie. Torture is wrong no matter what.

How is the Chinese Chamber of Commerce torturing people?

Gekko, I don’t condone what the Chinese government is doing to the group. But I also don’t condone the Falun gong group trying to bring their politics into our city’s parade. I’ve said it before, they had their chance to be in the parade, they screwed it up. Now that they’ve been punished for it, they’re claiming discrimination, but doesn’t even mention their own part in getting the group booted from the parade.

The CCC is enabling and condoning the torture by preventing the Falun Gong from stating their case and telling the world about it at the parade. If you can protest abortions in front of schools you can protest torture at a parade.

It’s free speech.

*sigh* I don’t want to rehash this, read my reply to Kris about why the parade doesn’t want to get political.

The parade is a private function, your free speech rights don’t apply. You can protest anywhere you want, but if you want to join the parade, its got to be under their rules. The rule about no politicizing the parade has been in effect before Falun Gong even came about.

Hey Tinnie, did you go to the parade? How was it? I heard the Gongies protested peacefully by performing tai chi moves. Was this in the parade, or on the side?

No I didn’t go. I think in all the years I’ve lived here, I only went once and that was with some visiting relatives. I was planning on watching it on TV, but was pretty distracted with two 5 month olds crying with fever. So, I didn’t catch the Gongies doing their Tai Chi,though I don’t think KTVU would televise it (rights or wrong of the Gongies joining the parade, the CCC is too big a money pot for the TV station to piss off), I’ll check.

Take a guess and find answers yourself people. I will think a bit logical but not with many facts.

?????Why practitioners of Judo,karate,boks,takewando arent outlawad BUT FALUN GONG????

Simply because it isnt just a peaceful exercise sesion it is an idology that treaths SOCIALIST CHINA.

People in china might suffer from todays government practice and think ways to improve their situations. There are limits in their practice. I DO NOT AGREE WITH TORTURE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE.

I rather know the starting point ” they being taken into custody for A REASON” NOT BECAUSE PRACTICING “A PEACEFUL EXERCISE”!!!

Stop ignoring reality and just think in your own countries USA, Germany or wherever there are people trying to influence and change the current system, what your goverment will do. THANK THEM???