As the San Francisco Board of Supervisors weekly meeting on Tuesday was about to begin, police officers and City Hall officials ordered everyone to evacuate the building there was a bomb threat.
Hundreds gathered in front of City Hall and waited until the building was searched. Nearly 45 minutes later, people were finally allowed to re-enter the building.
While the bomb scare could have been the fireworks of any other board meeting, this day was different. Over a hundred Falun Gong activists crowded into the legislative chamber to see whether a resolution urging the Chinese government to end persecution of Falun Gong practitioners would pass. There were so many people that some had to be transferred to another room due to lack of space.
However, no voting on the resolution took place, as Supervisor Leland Yee referred the resolution to the neighborhood services and parks committee.
“I think the issue of human rights is an important one, and I think it strikes a chord within all of us,” Yee said.
Board President Tom Ammiano acknowledged the resolution at the beginning of the meeting and allowed 30 minutes for public comment. Only a few were able to speak and many were still snaked around the chamber’s rear benches when the allotted time for public comment ended. The delay in the voting will allow many more speakers to be heard.
Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval refused to divulge how he would vote on the resolution, but said he understands that China’s human rights record needs much improvement. He also pointed to the awarding of the Olympics to China this year because “we want that to help them improve.”
Most of the public speakers were Falun Gong practitioners and adamantly called for this resolution to be passed, but there were also a few dissidents, calling Falun Gong a cult. They said Falun Gong members have high suicide rate. And they accused some members of killing family members and then justifying the acts by claiming the victims were demons.
The Falun Gong practitioners responded with personal stories of family members and friends who have been allegedly subjected to often cruel and torturous treatment by the Chinese government. Other speakers felt the Board shouldn’t make a decision on the resolution. They believed it should be handled by human rights and religious organizations.
“The resolution is very significant because the people in China have no voice,” said Sherry Zhang, the spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Information Center in San Francisco. “They exhausted all legal channels to get their voices heard, but in return, every time they try to appeal, they get arrested, tortured and even beaten to death. I think [international] pressure can really the Chinese government rethink what they are doing.” With the prospect of Mayor Willie Brown going to Shanghai within the next several weeks, Zhang is hoping he will raise the issue of the Chinese government’s human rights violations.
“Falun Gong has no political agenda and no interest in politics,” Zhang said. “All we’re asking from the Board is to support the most basic and the most fundamental human rights, religious freedom and freedom to believe.”