(Minghui.org) Five Beijing residents and two Tianjin locals were arrested on November 30 while trying to attend the trial of Mr. Zhou Xiangyang and Ms. Li Shanshan, a married couple who were arrested again this March after spending 10 years trying to rescue each other from prison.
Like the couple, all seven supporters also practice Falun Gong, a spiritual practice being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime. While blocked from entering the courthouse in Tianjin, they kept explaining to the court bailiffs, clerks and police why the persecution is wrong and why Mr. Zhou and Ms. Li should be set free.
Though all seven were briefly detained, they were released later that day after peacefully protesting the illegal detention and calling on their social media circles to condemn the arrest.
Arrested Outside Tianjin Courthouse
Qing Jie and Xiuxiu made the two-hour drive from Beijing, arriving at the courthouse at 9 am. However, when they asked which courtroom the Falun Gong case was being tried, the court bailiff stated: “You cannot attend the trial.” In actuality, the trial had been postponed, but the police never told the ladies about it.
Qing Jie and Xiuxiu went to the front entrance of the courthouse and noticed quite a few police officers. Three plainclothes agents attempted to detain Xiuxiu as she moved in between the cars. Soon there were 7-8 more policemen closing in. Xiuxiu began shouting: “Stop!” “Falun Dafa is good!” One of the them showed her a police ID, before several of them dragged her into a police car.
Qing Jie tried to stop them, but she ended up getting arrested as well.
Three other Beijing practitioners, Bao, Huazi and Xiaofang, were also seized by the police at the courthouse, in addition to two local practitioners who were taken to Tianjin Dongli District Police Department. Dozens of policemen were involved in the arrest of these seven practitioners.
Released Hours Later
Xiuxiu went to the bathroom and sent out information of their whereabouts and their arrests to overseas and domestic practitioners via social media. When she came out she told the policemen: “You arrested us through illegal means. Our lawyers are heading this way.”
The Falun Gong practitioners remained calm and began telling the police about the persecution of Falun Gong including the “Tiananmen Self-Immolation” hoax and similar attempts by the regime to defame Falun Gong. Many of the policemen did not know the basic facts about the persecution. Practitioners answered many of their questions, clearing up misconceptions caused by the government's propaganda.
Huazi, another one of the Beijing practitioners, told the policemen: “Lawsuits have been filed by plaintiffs around the world to bring Jiang Zemin to justice. You are also victims of the persecution. You do not want to be a scapegoat, do you?”
The police did not get any information after interrogating them. The practitioners refused to have their photos taken, refused to sign any documents and refused to eat. They insisted on an immediate release.
They were released at 1 p.m.
Related report:Young Couple Arrested Again after 10 Years Spent Trying to Rescue Each Other from Prison
