Falun Dafa Minghui.org www.minghui.org PRINT

"This Is a Free Country" - From Houston's Intercontinental Hotel

Oct. 27, 2002

(Clearwisdom.net)

At 6 a.m. on October 23rd, 2002, Falun Gong practitioners from North America and around the world arrived and stood on both sides of the road that is opposite the Houston Intercontinental Hotel. For about half-a-mile along both sides of Highway 610, bright yellow T-shirts could be seen everywhere. Various sized banners in both Chinese and English dotted the roadside. There were bright and eye-catching banners reading "Falun Dafa is Good" bearing red characters with a yellow background, "SOS - Rescue Falun Gong Practitioners Persecuted In China" bearing red and blue characters with a white background, and a number of banners reading "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." Susan, a western practitioner from New Jersey, was wearing a yellow T-shirt, quietly standing among other Falun Gong practitioners. From time to time they practiced the exercises and sent forth righteous thoughts. (Using the power of pure thoughts to purify our mind and harmonize the environment around us)

At approximately 3 p.m., a bus carrying the "welcoming team" for Jiang stopped at the roadside, and quite a few people came out. After a while, Susan noticed a loud conversation between a policeman and a member of the welcoming team. She became concerned and approached the two.

A member of the welcoming team who was wearing green and looked to be about 30 - 40 years old was arguing with a policeman. Everyone could hear the policeman answering loudly, "You can't do that! This is a free country! They can stay wherever they want!" He stopped and then added, "Do you always argue with the police?"

The guy in green continued to talk. The policeman then said loudly, "You want us to segregate them? Segregation went out a long time ago!"

Susan laughed. The guy in green turned around and shouted at her, "What are you laughing at?!" Susan calmly looked at him and did not answer his question. The policeman took over the conversation, "She's laughing because she can! This is a free country!"

Afterwards, a reporter from Clearwisdom.net remembered that Susan was from New Jersey during their interview and asked her, "Traveling always takes a lot of time and money. How do you deal with it?" Susan sincerely smiled and said, "I asked for a leave of absence from work and spent my own money." Then the reporter asked, "Can you describe the appearance of the police?" Susan smiled again, "I think all the policemen here looked the same: handsome, square face, tall and strong." The reporter and Susan laughed together.