November 15, 2001 Thursday

áá The interruption was brief, but ironic.

áá As a handful of Falun Gong practitioners meditated silently in front of the State Capitol Wednesday morning, more than 100 members of Service Employees International Union Local 880 marched past, screaming into megaphones and chanting in unison as they entered the building. The meditators, sitting with their eyes closed and facing east toward Capitol Avenue, never flinched.

áá "Everybody spreads their message in a different way," said Tai, a Chicago banker who made the trip south in support of Falun Gong. "Falun Gong is about inner peace and focus."

áá Tai and other fans of Falun Gong, a meditation exercise that originated in northeastern China, came to Springfield to demonstrate their methods while admonishing the [Jiang Zemin's] government for trying to abolish it.

áá Wednesday's event was part protest, part demonstration, part press conference.

áá To raise public awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong in China, a handful of practitioners left Chicago on Nov. 7 to walk to Springfield. The "Walk Through Illinois for Falun Gong" concluded with the press conference.

áá Overall, the participants passed through 30 cities, meeting with local people and spreading their message.

áá "This walk symbolizes the great courage demonstrated by Falun Gong practitioners in China as they bravely face government-sanctioned torture," said spokesman Minzi Pan.

áá According to the release, human-rights groups have reported that more than 100,000 practitioners in China have been arrested and 308 have been killed.

áá Falun Gong supporters say Chinese President Jiang Zemin fears the Falun Gong undermines his authority.

áá "When in fact it is merely an exercise that improves mental and physical health," said Tai. "The thing about America is that we are able to do this without pressure. The people in China are being persecuted for the same thing."

áá Secretary of State Police reported no problems with the daylong demonstration.

áá Also known as Falun Dafa, Falun Gong is a slow-moving, relaxing exercise combined with teachings of [Master Li Hongzhi]. The exercise has its own Web site, www.falundafa.org.