Volunteer Attacked in New York; Tuidang Center Releases Suspect Photos, Seeks Public Help

The photo on the left shows the attacker captured by a surveillance camera while fleeing. The photo on the right shows the moment he assaulted the Tuidang volunteer. The Global Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party is calling on the public to assist in solving the case. (Provided by the Global Service Center for Quitting the CCP)

[People News] At approximately 1:30 p.m. on February 27, a Chinese or Asian male suspect violently attacked a female Falun Gong practitioner and Tuidang (Quit the CCP) volunteer at an information booth on Main Street in Flushing, New York. The case involves a suspected hate crime. On March 1, the Global Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party released photos of the attacker and called on the public to assist in identifying and apprehending him.

The photo of the suspect.(Provided by the Global Service Center for Quitting the CCP)

Main Street in Flushing is covered by surveillance cameras. In addition, every Falun Gong information site and Tuidang service booth has its own security cameras installed by the Tuidang Center. Multiple videos clearly recorded the attack.

According to surveillance footage, around 1:15 p.m., an Asian man crossed Main Street and suddenly struck a Falun Gong practitioner from behind, delivering a heavy blow to the back of her head. The victim, Ms. Dong (Lydia Dong), was caught completely off guard. Her hat and glasses were knocked off as she fell to the ground. The attacker then ran toward the subway station and fled the scene.

Witnesses shouted, “Catch him! Call the police!” The victim later reported the incident to the police. She said that when officers reviewed the footage, they reacted by exclaiming, “Crazy.”

The suspect appears to be Chinese or Asian, with a mustache, wearing a blue jacket, a baseball cap, and pants with white stripes. The Tuidang Center urges the public to help identify and locate him.

The Global Service Center for Quitting the CCP stated that Falun Dafa is a legally registered religious belief in the United States and a Buddhist cultivation practice. Amid what it described as the CCP’s misinformation and persecution, practitioners take to the streets to share the teachings of Falun Dafa, expose the CCP’s actions, and encourage people to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. The center called on individuals to learn the truth and not become accomplices to wrongdoing.

Prior Attackers Deported or Convicted

According to relevant authorities, individuals who attacked Falun Gong practitioners in 2024 have been deported.

Violent assaults against Falun Gong practitioners and Tuidang volunteers may constitute not only assault but also hate crimes, which carry enhanced penalties. In serious cases involving severe violence or death, sentences can reach decades or even life imprisonment.

In previous Flushing incidents, some attackers were convicted, while others were deported.

For example, Buqiu Zheng (郑步秋), who damaged an information booth and attacked practitioners in Flushing on February 10, 2022, was convicted of a hate crime.

Another attacker assaulted several practitioners during a Falun Gong parade on Brooklyn’s Eighth Avenue on September 14, 2024. One victim, Wang Lirong, told this newspaper that in June last year, staff from Queens Criminal Court informed her that the Chinese man who attacked her had been deported.

Wang said the attacker had an accomplice who acted as a lookout but did not physically assault anyone. Although authorities identified the accomplice, no further action was taken. The primary attacker was found to lack legal immigration status and was deported.

Falun Gong practitioners report every intentional assault to police, and the New York City Police Department has registered such cases as hate crimes. Media outlets including The Epoch Times and New Tang Dynasty Television have followed these cases and published photos and identities of suspects.

Democracy Group Condemns the Attack

On March 1, the New York chapter of the Chinese Democracy and Human Rights Alliance held a rally in Flushing condemning the attack on the Falun Gong practitioner and bomb threats against Shen Yun Performing Arts allegedly linked to CCP influence.

Wei Libin, head of the organization, described the incidents as signs of what he called the CCP’s “desperation.” He said the violence reflected weakness and fear rather than strength. Referring to geopolitical events, he added that authoritarian regimes are increasingly isolated.

Wei expressed admiration for Falun Gong’s principles of “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance,” stating that attempts to suppress the belief only strengthen public support.

If You Have Information, Please Report:

  1. Call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline: 1-800-577-8477

  2. Submit a tip online: crimestoppers.nypdonline.org

  3. Send a direct message to @NYPDTips on X

  4. Contact the Tuidang Center: 718-888-9552

The Falun Gong information booth and “Three Withdrawals” service site are located on Main Street in Flushing, a major Chinese community in New York.(Lin Dan, The Dajiyuan)

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