The Star (Asia): Mild demos mark start of forum in NY [Excerpt]

Saturday, February 2, 2002

NEW YORK: The much-anticipated violent protest to mark the start of the World Economic Forum (WEF) here failed to materialise as participants got down to business yesterday.

There were, however, peaceful demonstrations, the most prominent being China's banned Falun Gong spiritual movement -- whose followers demonstrated two blocks from the conference centre at the Waldorf Astoria.

Hundreds of its followers performed exercise routines in unison to loud music along the elegant Park Avenue, watched by hundreds of on-lookers.

The group handed out open letters signed by Feng Yuan, the spokesman of the Falun Dafa Information Centre, highlighting economic problems in China and alleging the persecution of its followers.

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http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2002/2/2/world/jowef&sec=world