Protests by foreigners

14 Feb: At least 40 foreigners arrested 11 Feb: Two North Americans arrested and later deported Jan 2002: One Canadian woman protester expelled Nov 2001: 35 Westerners expelled after protest

Within seconds hundreds of uniformed and plainclothes police began rushing at them from all directions, pinning the protesters to the ground before dragging them to waiting police vans. Sporadic protests continued for more than an hour.

It was apparent from the size of the police operation that they had gained prior intelligence that some kind of large protest was being planned.

In four years of reporting from Beijing it was easily the biggest police presence I have ever seen on Tiananmen Square. But they still failed to prevent the demonstration.

City's image

The involvement of foreigners in such protests adds a new twist to the Falun Gong saga - which will be unwelcome to the Chinese government.

In recent months it has begun to look increasingly as if the government has the Falun Gong on the run.

Thousands of its Chinese followers languish in prison. The once daily protests in Tiananmen Square have been all but stamped out.

With the rest of the world's attention focused on Afghanistan, China has been free to carry on its suppression of Falun Gong with virtual impunity.

But now they have foreigners standing on Tiananmen Square holding up banners and shouting, "Falun Gong is good".

It is something that clearly fills the authorities here with consternation.

In the panic of Thursday's protest, police began hauling away any foreigner who looked even vaguely suspicious.

It is hardly the sort of behaviour becoming of a city that hosts millions of foreign tourists every year, most of whom will want to make at least one visit to Tiananmen Square during their stay.