Posted on 04/19/2008 1:26:34 PM PDT by abb
Thousands of Chinese Americans protested outside CNN's offices in Hollywood this morning, calling for the dismissal of commentator Jack Cafferty, whose recent remarks about Chinese goods and the Beijing government inflamed a community already angry about international condemnations directed at the host country of the upcoming Olympics.
The protesters lined Sunset Boulevard from Cahuenga Boulevard to Wilcox Avenue chanting "Cafferty, Fire," and singing patriotic Chinese songs.
"We understand free speech," said Lake Wang, 39, of Thousand Oaks. "But what if Cafferty said this about other racial groups? I think he would be fired. I think he's jealous of China."
The anger mirrors the growing sense of nationalism that is taking hold around the world as the Olympics come to China. Much of that anger has been directed at foreign media, which some accuse of painting an unfairly negative image of China.
On the April 9 airing of "The Situation Room," Cafferty, in a discussion about China, said that goods from that county were "junk," and referred to the Chinese as "a bunch of goons and thugs."
CNN later said Cafferty's comments were directed at the Beijing government.
"In this occasion Jack was offering his strongly held opinion of the Chinese government, not the Chinese people," a CNN spokesman said in a statement. "It should be noted that over many years, Jack Cafferty has expressed critical comments on many governments, including the U.S. government and its leaders."
David.pierson@latimes.com
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
ping
ping
holy cow, reads like a satire
Maybe they were just warning Mr. Cafferty that there was a fire?
LOL!
“But what if Cafferty said this about other racial groups? I think he would be fired.”
If he said it about Christians, it would go un-noticed.
Or maybe Cafferty himself is on fire? I would volunteer to stomp it out if so.
So, uh, what's "American" about them?
but which side are you on?
Complaining about a “bunch of goons and thugs” and contrasting that with a government that executes people and bills their familiy for the bullets.....hmmmmm....
Huh...chanting “Cafferty, Fire”?
I guess they are living here, working here, spying here, but haven’t got the hang of free speech yet.
I don’t listen to the windbag, Cafferty, but will defend his right to criticize the horrible Chinese government.
Chinese protest CNN for Cafferty remarks
By Jonathan Landreth
April 19, 2008
RELATED:CNN: China comments not meant to offend
The finger pointing continued in the run up to the Beijing Olympics Saturday as hundreds of ethnic Chinese shouted “Liar” in front of CNN’s Los Angeles office, demanding a “sincere apology” from political commentator Jack Cafferty for calling Chinese “goons and thugs.”
“No Chinese Negative News” and “Certainly Not Neutral” read banners held high along with the flags of the United States, China and Taiwan. A crowd of about 500 gathered by 10 a.m. on all four corners of a Sunset Blvd intersection. Police said they were taken by surprise.
The protest came after recent events in Tibet, where anti-Chinese unrest broke out on March 14. Since then, Chinese state-run media has called Nobel Peace Laureate the Dalai Lama a terrorist and accused Western media, which has been barred from open reporting in Tibet, of unbalanced coverage.
Lin Chen, who learned about the protest on popular Chinese-language web portal Sina.com, left his home at 7 a.m. and drove here from San Diego. The native of Tianjin, the port city nearest Beijing, has worked for years as an engineer at Qualcomm.
“I know both worlds, English media and Chinese media. I believe there is an anti-China frenzy in America today,” said Chen, 44, who has raised two pre-teens in the U.S.
“I came not for myself but for my son and daughter. They will live forever in the U.S. and I cannot tolerate this discrimination from a major news organization,” Chen said.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry demanded Tuesday that CNN’s Cafferty apologize for remarks he made last week, in which he called the Chinese “goons and thugs” and said products manufactured in China are “junk.”
“Cafferty used the microphone in his hands to slander China and the Chinese people (and) seriously violated professional ethics of journalism and human conscience,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Tuesday, the state-run Xinhua news agency said.
Jiang said Cafferty’s remarks “reflected his arrogance, ignorance and hostility towards the Chinese people, ignited indignation of Chinese (at) home and abroad and will be condemned by those who safeguard justice around the world.”
CNN is barred from broadcast in China except into luxury hotels and exclusive residence compounds.
In response CNN issued a statement saying: “We are aware of concerns about Jack Cafferty’s comments related to China in the context of the upcoming Olympics...CNN would like to clarify that it was not Mr. Cafferty’s, nor CNN’s, intent to cause offense to the Chinese people, and [CNN] would apologize to anyone who has interpreted the comments in this way.
CNN said in a report on its web site that it is a network that reports the news in an objective and balanced fashion. However, as part of our coverage we also employ commentators who provide robust opinions that generate debate.
On this occasion Jack was offering his strongly held opinion of the Chinese government, not the Chinese people -— a point he subsequently clarified on The Situation Room on April 14.
At the protest Saturday, Ke Ping, a Chinese filmmaker who has lived in the U.S. for 20 years and is a graduate of the UCLA Film School said that as a naturalized American citizen she certainly took advantage of freedom of speech here.
“I encourage more open speech in China,” where she acknowledged such a protest against a news organization would not be allowed to take place.
http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp?S=8197414&nav=menu612_2_7
SoCal protesters target CNN over China remarks
Associated Press - April 19, 2008 4:24 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Chinese-Americans have staged a protest outside the CNN office in Hollywood. They want the news network to fire commentator Jack Cafferty for making what the protesters call insulting remarks about Chinese people.
Police say 2,000 to 5,000 people gathered outside the CNN building for about 2 1/2 hours this morning. The event was peaceful and no arrests were made.
About two dozen people also demonstrated outside CNN headquarters in Atlanta.
Some Chinese-Americans are upset about comments Cafferty made earlier this month where he called Chinese imports “junk” and said Chinese leaders were “basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they’ve been for the last 50 years.”
Cafferty later said he was discussing China’s government, not its people.
China has been in the spotlight as it prepares to host the summer Olympics. Criticism of its human rights record and unrest in Tibet have received widespread coverage, leading Chinese leaders to accuse Western media of smearing the country.
“Chicom agents in action” ping
For now, I'm on the side of the Chinese protesters. Once they've disposed of Cafferty, I'll switch back.
ROFLMAO!!!
Jack’s best buzz since Des Moines.
I would look at him very closely. He is probably stealing technology secrets. There I said it. And I'm probably right. The Chinese are educated people. They know what cafferty said. Those who are protesting are there for a reason--To undermine the United States when and where ever they can. They pledge allegance to China first.
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