The police formed a line to keep the practitioners away, so Hu Jintao couldn't see them. The sky cleared as soon as the event was over.
By a practitioner from CroatiaOn the 19th and 20th June, Hu Jintao as well as 200 businessmen from mainland China visited Zagreb, Croatia and had official talks with the Croatian president, prime minister and the head of parliament.
Prior to the visit, Croatian practitioners sent an open letter to the president, prime minister and head of parliament in which they clarified the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong and asked the three dignitaries to support the thousands of unheard victims of the regime's persecution in their name, in the name of the Croatian people and in the name of conscience that transcends all boundaries. They also informed all the major media houses of the persecution of Falun Gong and that the local practitioners are holding peaceful activities calling for an end of the brutal persecution.
On Friday, 19th June, the day of Hu Jintao's arrival, practitioners from Croatia and neighbouring countries Austria and Germany, came together on Zagreb's main square to hand out truth clarification materials and demonstrate the exercises. This peaceful gathering drew a lot of media attention as all the main media houses sent their journalists and camera crew to cover the event. Most of them, journalists and the passers-by, had never heard about Falun Gong and were shocked to see the images of persecuted practitioners. The question on everyone's lips was "Why are they doing this to these people?"
That same evening after the gathering on the square, the practitioners moved to the front of the Chinese embassy in Zagreb, where they meditated for two hours, holding banners that read "Stop the persecution of Falun Gong in China".
On Saturday 20th June, the practitioners held a peaceful gathering in front of the Croatian National Theatre from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Numerous cars and buses drove past, stopped to read the banners and took truth clarification materials with them. In a couple of these buses were some Chinese faces, curiously looking at what was going on, and quickly taking photos. Unlike the day before when the weather was sunny and the temperatures reached over 30 degrees Celsius, the sky turned grey, it was 18 degrees Celsius and raining. The police who were constantly monitoring all the activities were in disbelief that the practitioners were holding on to their cause and not leaving. Some of the police officers took the truth clarification materials and some only read the posters and banners, but all said that they had never heard of Falun Gong and that they were shocked to see what was going on.
What was interesting to note is that whenever Hu Jintao and the rest of the delegation were to drive past the gathering, in order for them not to see the banners and practitioners, 6 or 7 empty buses were parked to block the view. The practitioners then turned and held banners up high for the delegation to see them but the police officers formed a line so as to make sure that the practitioners remained unseen. The banners were held up high and one practitioner asked the police “Why are you doing this? Don't you have a conscience?"
The second time the delegation drove past, the police again formed a line, but one police officer did not want to join in. It seemed he, indeed, had a conscience.
When it was clear that Hu Jintao left the city, the police officers came to talk to the practitioners and asked more about the persecution. One said, "You asked whether I support what they are doing. I am just doing my job. What they are doing is horrible. I didn't know." They also said that they have never seen a more peaceful protest and that the practitioners are welcome to hold activities in Zagreb in the future.
In addition to being in front of the Croatian National Theatre, a number of practitioners held a mini-parade through a few streets of Zagreb, holding banners and handing out truth clarification materials. During this mini-parade they were approached by American tourists who asked about what was going on and took truth clarification materials.
At around 7 p.m. most of the police officers left the site. Only one police car remained. The practitioners in the meantime found out that just at 8 p.m. in the very theatre in front of which they were holding the activities, a performance by Chinese acrobats from Dalian was to be held. They held up yellow banners that read "Falun Dafa" in the direction of the performers who were standing outside, near the side entrance. The performers were looking in the direction of the banners with great interest. The practitioners used this opportunity to hand out more truth clarification materials to the people who were about to attend the show.
Just after 8 p.m., as the practitioners were packing up and getting ready to leave, all the clouds left the sky and it started to became warm again.