Last year, there were 34 documented cases of harassment, intimidation, and assault against peaceful protesters during CCP leader Xi Jinping’s visit.
Two U.S.-based advocacy groups are calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the activities of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) United Front foreign influence organizations in the United States, after identifying groups responsible for street violence in San Francisco during Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit in 2023.
The Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC) and Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) used open-source research and facial recognition technology to identify CCP-aligned actors allegedly assaulting peaceful pro-democracy protesters during Xi’s four-day visit, according to their newly-released report.
The groups found that 19 leaders of the CCP’s United Front groups were in San Francisco during Xi’s visit and that 12 of them allegedly participated in attacks against protesters. These leaders came from all over the United States, including New York; California; Portland, Oregon; Seattle; the San Francisco Bay Area; and Philadelphia.
“Investigate whether united front groups in the U.S. are acting as unregistered foreign agents of the PRC in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act,” the two groups urged the DOJ, referring to China’s official name, the People’s Republic of China.
The report also urged the DOJ to “explore the potential criminal liabilities of individuals and groups engaged in” transnational repression.
Xi arrived in San Francisco on Nov. 14, 2023, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
Many decided to use his visit as a platform to peacefully protest against the CCP’s human rights violations, holding demonstrations at San Francisco International Airport; on the streets near the Moscone Center, where APEC meetings were held; in areas outside of The St. Regis hotel where Xi stayed; and in other locations around the city.
However, the peaceful protests were marred by violence allegedly committed by Xi’s supporters and pro-CCP demonstrators. The report documents 34 cases of harassment, intimidation, and assault.
Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, said in a July 31 statement that the CCP-directed attacks “were an outrageous violation of American sovereignty and the values we all hold dear.” He called on the FBI and the San Francisco Police Department to hold the perpetrators accountable.
By Frank Fang
