San Antonio KSAT: Falun Gong Practitioners Bring Rescue Drive To S.A.

SAN ANTONIO -- A group of Falun Gong practitioners stopped in San Antonio on Monday to raise awareness about family members being held in Chinese prisons.

The visit in front of City Hall is part of a nationwide rescue drive in Texas that precedes a meeting between President George W. Bush and Chinese communist leader Jiang Zemin on Oct. 25 at Bush's ranch in Crawford.

The practitioners want Bush to address the issue of civil rights abuse in Chinese prisons with Jiang during their meeting.

The Chinese government has imprisoned thousands of practitioners of Falun Gong, a Chinese spiritual practice that includes exercise and meditation, because Chinese government officials fear that practitioners are organizing to overthrow Communism.

Practitioners claim that Falun Gong promotes inner strength and peace.

The rescue drive's next stop is in Houston on Tuesday.