Welcome for Chinese leader interrupted by heckler

[deadparrot]

President Hu Jintao of China started his first visit to Washington as his country's top leader Thursday, greeted warmly with band music and handshakes by President Bush on the White House lawn. But the formality of the ceremony was quickly shattered when an emotional heckler shouted at him from a position stationed among journalists covering the event.

Shortly after Hu, with President Bush at his side, stepped up to the podium and expressed his happiness to visit the United States "in the lovely season of spring," shrill shouts from a protester, who appeared to be Asian, rang out from across the lawn during the live television broadcast.

She began shouting in Chinese, but broke into English at moments, yelling "Stop the torture and killings!" and shouting the name of the Falun Gong, a religious and exercise sect that is outlawed in China. "Falun Dafa is good," she yelled. Hu looked at first confused and then hesitated before continuing to speak. "You're okay," Bush said to him in a low voice, prodding him on.

For about a minute, the shrill protests punctuated both Hu's remarks and the gaps in which he fell silent when they were being translated into English. A photographer standing next to the woman tried briefly to silence her.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/20/america/web.0420heckler.php

[madeline_con]

1. "You're okay," Bush said

First of all, :puke:.

Second, Good for her! :woohoo:

[hippiechick]

4. "Heckuva job there, Hu-hu!"

I can just hear it. :puke:

[Virginia Dare]

2. The Falun Gong have been out in force in D.C. for two days....

very aggressive and very loud.

[MikeNearMcChord]

3. The Falun Gong is exposing China for it's hypocrysy

Way to go FG! Also their actions in Tibet too.

[monktonman]

5. Funny how she can get on the white house lawn...

to heckle the chinese presnit but american protesters cant get within ten miles of dickyboy.
I smell a rat.
Kkkarl is that you??

[madeline_con]

7. Probably got a press badge.

Determined types can always get the Pretzel Boy's ear. :evilgrin:

[HuffleClaw]

9. exactly my thought

funny how she was able to scream for over a MINUTE too. cindy sheehan didn't have time to remove her jacket before she was pounced on, but this girl can scream at chimpy and his pal for over a minute before being nabbed? i'd call this a complete setup, especially considering the assorted insults towards china they've engineered in the last couple days.

[klebean]

10. how? she's a clever girl?

from the article:

The incident with the protester raised questions about the adequacy of security measures for journalists covering visits of foreign leaders to the White House. It was not clear how the woman gained access to the pool. She positioned herself in the one place where the Secret Service would have the hardest time reaching her: On the top level of a grandstand set up for television cameras, blocked by equipment and ladders on all sides.
At one point she attempted to unfurl a yellow Falun Gong banner. A cameraman next to her put his hand on her back, and appeared to be encouraging her to quiet down, but she continued to yell.

It took some time for a burly, uniformed Secret Service agent and a plainclothes agent, a woman, to reach the protestor, and they grabbed her by both arms and took her behind the cameras, down the stairs of the temporary platform, and out the southwest gate, away from the ceremony. Chinese officials on the edges of the crowd were staring in some disbelief, shaking their heads.

[shain from kane]

6. This is Huuuuuuge.

Hu Ok now. Assassination attempt later. Martial law, Homeland Security attacks dissent, concentration camps, etc. All according to plan.

[JohnnyRingo]

8. When did it become OK to embrace Communism?

When did we stop calling him "the Chinese dictator" or "Premier"
Now it's "good ole President Hu" as if he was elected to the post.

I can't wait to hear Buxh refer to the Cuban leader as "President" Castro.
I'm all for global relations of course, it's the hypocrisy that irks me.

[manic expression]

11. When it was economically advantageous

it's about the bottom dollar. Ideology means nothing. The only reason the US is so against socialist movements is because it will hurt their business interests, that is, their ability to exploit and oppress others for profits. When having friendly relations with a productive giant like China or Vietnam, regardless of supposed political ideology, makes more money for the elite of this country (while hurting the middle and lower classes), the US will be VERY close with them.

[Rose Siding]

12. They may charge her with that new fed law about disrupting an offcial

Heckling is a felony now. She didn't break any law getting into the event. Her speech is exactly she'd be charged for.

If they start enforcing this, Medea Benjaman will be Gitmo bound.

Ironic considering bush was talking about how China has to allow more dissent just before she let go.