January 13, 2003 Monday

Falun Gong supporters began a quiet three-day protest outside the Chinese consulate in Toronto yesterday to demand an end to the ill-treatment of the spiritual movement's practitioners.

About 50 supporters sat cross-legged in meditation on the sidewalk outside the St. George St. consulate to protest the reported deaths of 43 Falun Gong practitioners in China since last November. The vigil, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., continues today and tomorrow across the U.S. and Canada, including Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver.