Falun Gong Protest Exclusion From San Francisco Parade

The traditional San Francisco parade celebrating the Chinese New Year is scheduled for February 11. But this year, according to yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle, controversy surrounds the parade. The spiritual movement, Falun Gong, applied to take part in the parade, but the Chinese Chamber of Commerce which runs the parade rejected its application. The Chamber claims that in 2004 the group violated parade rules by handing out political material. Some $77,000 of the parade's $800,000 budget comes from the city of San Francisco, and Falun Gong supporters are pressing the city to withdraw its funding and other support for the event if they are not permitted to participate. Since 1999, Falun Gong has been banned by the Chinese government in Beijing. A Falun Gong spokesman, Huy Lu, said "The Chinese chamber is using taxpayer money to help the Chinese government. It's helping the persecution of Falun Gong followers."