China Protest March Draws 1,500 in L.A.

In one of the largest demonstrations of its kind in Los Angeles, more than a thousand people marched in summer-like heat to the Chinese Consulate on Sunday to protest the continuing suppression of pro-democracy students in China.

Besides its size, what made this march different from past demonstrations was evidence that the protest is becoming a broad-based community movement, leaders said.

The pre-march rally at MacArthur Park resembled a political convention, with brightly colored signs announcing the presence of such diverse groups as the San Fernando Valley Chinese Cultural Assn., the Thousand Oaks Council of the Chinese Cultural Assn. and the Libertarian Party. Altogether, there were more than 150 organizations represented.

“This is the largest gathering so far in Southern California,” said Changqing Cao, a Chinese journalist studying in the United States. “We should set aside June 18 as a special day.”

Los Angeles police estimated the size of the crowd at 1,500, although Chinese community leaders released estimates more than twice as large.

The featured speaker was Tong Boning, a student who returned to China when the pro-democracy demonstrations began, then was detained briefly by the government when he tried to leave after the June 3-4 massacre in Tian An Men Square.

To those who wondered why the government had released him, he explained that “they wanted me to send a strong message to the people in the United States.” That message, he said, is that Chinese students here should be careful; anyone who believes “just because you are in the U.S. that you are safe (should know that) we are watching you.”

To a cacophony of honking horns on Wilshire Boulevard, the crowd marched to the consulate to deliver a protest letter.

“As overseas Chinese and citizens of the world, we strongly denounce such uncivilized actions by your government,” it read.