From 8:15AM to 9:35 AM on October 1st, within 80 minutes, police took many Falun Gong practitioners from Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Nine large city buses, fully loaded with arrested Falun Gong practitioners, drove from Tiananmen police substation to various Beijing detention centers. In the afternoon, another six large city buses loaded with Falun Gong practitioners drove away from Tiananmen police substation. It is estimated that approximately 1,400 Falun Gong practitioners were taken into custody on October 1st.
According to a source from within the police station, there was an order that came from the high authorities stating that the practitioners detained this time must be brutally beaten. Police beat a middle-aged woman, who had her young daughter with her, when they were detained in the basement of Tiananmen police substation. Her two legs were beaten with an electric baton so harshly that they turned black. Later, the police found that she was almost pulseless. Afraid that she may die, the police threw her out of the police station. Another male practitioner's head was beaten so harshly that there was severe hemorrhaging, and he could not move due to the severe beating. The police were afraid that might cause trouble, so they released him. After being released, this practitioner couldn't find a place to go, so he stayed in the hall of the hospital for a night. Early the next morning, a worker found him. This practitioner told the worker what had happened with Falun Gong. After hearing this, the worker was very angry at the police's brutality and at the same time, he was deeply moved by the great compassion and tolerance demonstrated by Falun Gong practitioners. Shortly there after, he bought a bowl of dumplings for this male practitioner. Upon seeing that the practitioner was barefooted, this worker let him wear his own traveling shoes. This practitioner insisted on giving him money for all this, the worker refused. But, this practitioner said, " We Falun Gong practitioners cannot take advantage of others, you should accept this money." This worker couldn't find any excuse but accepted 10 RMB Yuan from this practitioner.
