Sect’s Protest Defies Tiananmen Security

Followers of the outlawed Falun Gong sect chanted slogans and raised yellow banners on Tiananmen Square in a protest that defied heavy security meant to ensure patriotic celebrations of China’s National Day. Uniformed and plainclothes police kicked and pummeled sect members, but as soon as one group was subdued, others would protest. Police closed off parts of Tiananmen, an embarrassing act in China’s most public square on a holiday marking 51 years of Communist rule. Police detained at least 300 protesters in one hour alone. It was one of the largest acts of civil disobedience by the group since the first days after the government ban 14 months ago.