Police beat, arrest Falun Gong members in Tiananmen Square

From CNN's Lisa Weaver

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Police beat and pushed into vans dozens of members of the banned Falun Gong sect during a demonstration in Tiananmen Square on Sunday, witnesses said.

Journalists and others taking pictures or videotaping the events had their photography equipment confiscated, including CNN cameraman Wen-Chun Fan, who had several videotapes taken by police. He did not know how many Falun Gong members were protesting in the square.

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Members of the sect were seen passing out leaflets in the square, which is known for being the site of bloody battles between pro-democracy demonstrators and police in 1989.

Falun Gong members had planned Sunday's protest to coincide with China's National Day. They said they would call on the government to recognize the sect, which was banned in July, 1999, after the government said it was evil and blamed it for hundreds of deaths among its followers.

The group has said it has no political aspirations. It is based on a Taoist doctrine and subscribes to a set of five physical exercises. Its leader, Li Hong Zhi, was exiled from China and was last known to be living in the United States.

Falun Gong members sent e-mails to media outlets earlier in the week announcing their plans for Sunday. Police responded by closing the square at 3 a.m. Sunday morning, although it allowed other people to attend a sunrise flag-raising ceremony for National Day.

The group said some of its members were stopped by security forces at train stations across the country as they tried to make their way to the capital.

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