Protest too much... or not enough?

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan's decision to tell the Falun Gong protesters to get lost (Read about it here) took some guts.

Brains as well? Maybe. Heart? Well, not so much. But when the guts and the brains get together, they can be pretty tough to beat.

I've been following the (few) triumphs and (many) tragedies of the Falun Gong movement for over five years now (My Vancouver Courier article about their early presence in Vancouver can be found here). Their endless vigil at the Chinese consulate has helped keep China's atrocities against its own people in the minds of everyone driving past Granville and 16th Avenue for the past five years.

Vancouverites have shown a great willingness to protest security efforts in Haiti and Afghanistan, even as these operations have the support of our allies and the United Nations. Meanwhile, Falun Gong's efforts have only rarely had the backing of the wider Vancouver community in the form of a highly-publicized, organized protest (One major exception to that would be the recent 2005 protest against Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Canada).

But has the vigil served its purpose? Five years is a long time. By their permanence, the posters and signs outside of the consulate have become just another part of the background - one that seems psychologically safe to ignore. This would seem to be the last thing Falun Gong wants.

There is nothing to stop Falun Gong from continuing its efforts in other forms. It's dramatic performance protests in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery (occasionally featuring mock-torture by performers dressed as Chinese prison guards) always draw big crowds.

If Sam Sullivan is truly shutting down the vigil to enforce bylaws, that would seem to be within a mayor's perogative. If Falun Gong supporters wish to stage further demonstrations at any time,they will likely get the permits they need. In the unlikely and suspicious event that Falun Gong is refused the city's permission, they will get huge media attention for their cause - which is exactly what they want, anyway.

So let those signs come down. When you put them back up, Vancouver will be watching.

tags: Vancouver, Canada, China, Chinese, Falun Gong, Falun Dafa, protest, demonstration, human rights, torture, organ harvesting, UN