Act of Courage Defied Chinese Regime’s Control

Nine years ago a group of Westerners suddenly appeared on Tiananmen Square to protest

Western Falun Gong adherents shock Chinese officials and bring encouragement to Chinese adherents by protesting on Tiananmen Square on Nov. 20, 2001. (The Epoch Times Photo Archive)

Epoch Times - When three dozen Westerners suddenly and peacefully appeared on Tiananmen Square with a simple message nine years ago, the story made media headlines worldwide. But it also carried hope to the dark corners of China’s slave labor camps, and shook up the plush offices of Chinese consulates around the globe.

The regime’s web of control was breached in broad daylight right in the symbolic heart of Beijing on Nov. 20, 2001 by 36 practitioners of Falun Gong.

They quietly converged from Europe, Australia, and North America at a pre-arranged point, at 2:00 p.m. on a sunny Tuesday. They posed, chatting and laughing, as if for a class reunion photo. Then, on signal, most sat down and crossed their legs to meditate, while a few stood tall to hold up a large, golden banner reading “Truth Compassion Tolerance” in English and Chinese. More...