Thousands protest against CNN in Los Angeles
From ChinaTravelGuide
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(Los Angeles, CA. April 19, 2008) Thousands of people gathered outside the CNN building in Los Angeles to protest against CNN host's remark on China and Chinese people today. Many of them demanded a true and sincere apology from CNN and its commentator Jack Cafferty.
CNN's "The Situation Room" host Jack Cafferty's said on April 9, 2008, "So I think our relationship with China has certainly changed," he continued. "I think they're basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the last 50 years." (我认为在过去５０年里他们基本上一直是一帮暴民和匪徒).
Cafferty's comments caused an outrage among the Chinese communities around the world (CNN responded that Cafferty's comment was to China's government, not its people). The anger from the Chinese communities has been directed at foreign media, which protesters accuse of painting an unfairly negative image of China. The protesters echo a deepening sense of nationalism as the Olympics comes to China, and China increasingly becomes an economic power in the world.
Today's protesters in Los Angeles covered about 1 and half block of street on West Sunset Blvd between Wilcox Ave and Ivar Ave. CNN's building on the famous Sunset Boulevard in northwest Los Angeles is where the channel's veteran presenter, Larry King, is based. The protest lasted 3 hours from 10 am to 1pm.
Police estimated about 2,000 to 5,000 protesters gathered, chanting "CNN, Liar; Cafferty, Fire" and other slogans and signs like "华人不可辱, 中国不可欺", "Proud of being Chinese". It was a peaceful demonstration, police Sgt. David Torres said.
Over 40 organizations from local Chinese communities participated in the protest. These protesters range from numerous senior Chinese-Americans, college students, to many young children, many of whom came to protest with the whole family of three generations.
[edit] Chinese government's response to CNN's Cafferty's remarks
The Chinese Foreign Ministry demanded Tuesday that CNN's Cafferty apologize for remarks he made last week, in which he called the Chinese "goons and thugs" and said products manufactured in China are "junk."
"Cafferty used the microphone in his hands to slander China and the Chinese people (and) seriously violated professional ethics of journalism and human conscience," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Tuesday, the state-run Xinhua news agency said.
Jiang said Cafferty's remarks "reflected his arrogance, ignorance and hostility towards the Chinese people, ignited indignation of Chinese (at) home and abroad and will be condemned by those who safeguard justice around the world."
[edit] CNN's response to Cafferty's remarks
"We are aware of concerns about Jack Cafferty's comments related to China in the context of the upcoming Olympics...CNN would like to clarify that it was not Mr. Cafferty's, nor CNN's, intent to cause offense to the Chinese people, and [CNN] would apologize to anyone who has interpreted the comments in this way."
"In this occasion Jack was offering his strongly held opinion of the Chinese government, not the Chinese people," a CNN spokesman said in a statement. "It should be noted that over many years, Jack Cafferty has expressed critical comments on many governments, including the U.S. government and its leaders."
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said that the CNN statement lacked sincerity and instead "turned its attack on the Chinese government to try to sow division between the Chinese government and the people."
Most people from Chinese communities world-wide also don't believe it's a true and sincere apology.
[edit] Other protests around the world
- Atlanta: Also, on April 19, 2008. Another two dozen people holding Chinese flags also demonstrated outside CNN's corporate headquarters in Atlanta.
- London: On April, 2008, one thousand Chinese expatriates staged a silence demonstration in front of the Parliament building in Old Palace Yard on April 19. [1]
- Beijing: Chinese protesters demonstrated in front of a Carrefour store in Beijing on Saturday in support of the forthcoming Olympics and against Tibetan independence. [2]
- Paris: Saturday, up to 4,000 Chinese students and other expatriates gathered in the Place de la Republique wearing T-shirts daubed with the slogan "One China, One family". [3]
- Berlin: Several hundred people also demonstrated in Berlin's Potsdamer Platz in the business district gripping banners with messages like "China Olympia, one world, one dream."
[edit] Photos
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