In a shocking display of Beijing-style governance, more than 30 Hong Kong police and 10 authorities from the Food, Environment and Health Bureau rushed the group of approximately 10 Falun Gong practitioners at 4:30 on Saturday afternoon. The group was on their 46th day of a continuous peaceful, silent vigil drawing attention to the plight of imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners in China. The demonstrations are legal by current Hong Kong law.

Witnesses say police injured three of the demonstrators, pulling them away from their signboards and pinning them forcefully to the ground. The three were later sent to a hospital for examination.

Hong Kong police have offered no explanation for the action, nor has any explanation been offered for the puzzling involvement of the Food, Environment and Health Bureau. However, sources say that authorities from the Chinese representative office have been pressuring the Hong Kong police to find an excuse to break up the demonstrations since they began in late September.

Sophie Xiao, spokesperson for Falun Gong in Hong Kong commented, "In an ordinary society, police are supposed to promote justice and protect good people. However, in this incident, the authorities sent out such a large force to suppress a small group of non-violent Falun Gong practitioners. It's absurd. We hope that Hong Kong's leaders will not blindly follow the oppressors in Mainland China, continuing along this path of persecuting 'Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance'."

Ms. Xiao says they will continue their sit-in appeal in front of China's representative office. "We will expose this incident," she said, "discuss the issue with the relevant parties with kindness, and clarify the truth."