Posted on 04/18/2006 9:37:58 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
CHINESE leader Hu Jintao has been tailed by protesters after arriving in Seattle on the first stop of his US visit, with signs and chants denouncing China's treatment of Falun Gong members and calling for the release of dissidents.
Dozens of demonstrators lined the streets outside the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle, where Mr Hu was staying, holding large banners and using bullhorns to try to grab his attention as his motorcade whisked through.
"Nazi-like brutal genocide concentration camps is re-emerging in China," one sign by the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement said outside the hotel.
"Free Tibet! China Get Out of Tibet," Tibetans and Tibet rights advocates shouted.
Across the street, however, a handful of Chinese dressed in traditional silk outfits played drums and and waved Chinese flags.
The protesters were peaceful and orderly. No confrontations occurred.
Perhaps due to the expected loud protests in the United States, security was tighter at his hotel than usual.
Journalists were not allowed to enter the hotel or wait outside, in contrast to common practice when Mr Hu is overseas.
"This time it will be different," a foreign ministry official said, without explaining why.
Protesters followed Mr Hu everywhere, waiting at street corners along his route to areas he visits including the Microsoft campus.
Several Falun Gong members sat on the lawn of the Microsoft compound, with legs folded, meditating.
"Falun Dafa (Gong) is Good," the group's sign said. China banned the group as an "evil cult" in 1999 and has jailed tens of thousands of its members.
Other protesters quietly held up signs demanding the release of locked up dissidents, including US permanent resident Yang Jianli, whose case is expected to be raised by US President George W. Bush during a summit in Washington tomorrow.
Still others called for lifting of Internet restrictions, including shutting down politically sensitive websites and jailing web masters and writers for expressing their opinions.
One sign also addressed to Microsoft founder Bill Gates said: "Bill and Hu, Free the Web."
No blood for Whales!
Pass the joint man!
Any bodily organ you don't particularly want?
I am surprised there isn't a Tibetan hit team out to kidnap Hu, the former Commander of the Tibet Autonomous region. There he presided over atrocities against monks, nuns and the geberal Tibetan populace who are now being relegated to "n*gger status " as the flood of Chinese "immigrants" mobs the country.
Hu reminds me of why we need to fight the Islamofascists. The Tibetans followed their Dalai Lama into pacifism, and the result?
No Tibet.
Hu is walking history of why we need to fight the Islamofascists
Now , If I were a fly in the oval office tomorrow, would I hear Dubyah say,"Mr. Hu, we are going to divest the Iranians of all nuclear capability. YOU will sit and watch."
is he going to visit the Bentonville Semi-Autonomous Region?
Make all the snarky remarks you want. They happen to be on the right side on this one.
you might hear that, with some offers on involvement on iranian 'reconstruction (i.e. oil contracts/issues) to pacify.
i have a number of large complaints with gwbush, but his willingness to call dprk and iran evil isn't one of them.
I just read some puff peices in the WSJ. I am sick of how we cuddle up to this monster and his evil regime. Still waiting for the glorious developments free trade with the Chinese has promised. They still brutally stifle free speech. They align with our enemies. Now they have US high tech companies helping them. China also helped Pakistan & N Korea to get nukes, which then helped Iran. More protests please.
I also wanted to say how refreshing it is hear Australia's leaders. They have backbone. I am especially referring to comments about Muslims & assimilation.
Typo. Should read: "Boiled Dog, Hu Visit."
I had to wait a long time on a 520 ramp yesterday so his car could go by securely. I was planning to spit as it passed, but I was distracted by all the helicopters.
Dog protests Hu visit
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.