Gallagher, Krishnamoorthi Request DOJ Take Action Following Pro-CCP Violence Against Protestors

Washington, DC – As first reported by the Daily Mail, Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party today sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) expressing outrage that peaceful pro-democracy protestors were violently assaulted by alleged CCP-aligned actors surrounding Xi Jinping's visit to San Francisco.

According to reports, “Demonstrators opposing Beijing’s human rights violations and supporting independence for Taiwan were confronted by Xi’s supporters wielding metal rods, flagpoles, closed umbrellas, and pepper spray," Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi wrote in the letter.

The lawmakers continue, "this is just one of many examples of CCP-aligned actors attempting to intimidate, silence, and harm dissidents of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) living in the United States."

Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi requested the DOJ to provide the Select Committee with a briefing on the recent attacks and inquired about steps the DOJ is taking to ensure the safety of protestors in the future.

View the lawmakers letter HERE or read below.

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Dear Assistant Attorney General Clarke, 

We write to express outrage that during Xi Jinping’s November visit to San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, peaceful pro-democracy protestors were violently assaulted by Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-aligned actors. According to reports, “[d]emonstrators opposing Beijing’s human rights violations and supporting independence for Taiwan were confronted by Xi’s supporters wielding [] metal rods, flagpoles, closed umbrellas, and pepper spray.” This is just one of many examples of CCP-aligned actors attempting to intimidate, silence, and harm dissidents of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) living in the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division “works to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all persons in the United States, particularly some of the most vulnerable members of society” and as its head, we request that you provide us with information regarding the recent attacks on peaceful pro-democracy protestors at the APEC Summit and a description of which policies your office is implementing to ensure that these vulnerable people are protected.

In the days leading up to the APEC Summit and Xi Jinping’s visit to San Francisco, pro-democracy protestors began receiving threats of violence on social media by supporters of Xi.During the summit, protest organizers reported being followed on the streets of San Francisco by plainclothes agents believed to have been dispatched from the Chinese consulate. In particular, Jie Lijian, a Chinese dissident and organizer of the protest, said that he and fellow activists were followed by a group of five to six people who appeared to be plainclothes police or military officers in civilian clothing, and who he believes to be PRC agents.Since the Summit, we have learned that up to 15 pro-democracy protestors were harmed by Xi supporters. During the protests, pro-Xi actors assaulted Chinese, Hongkonger, and Tibetan dissidents, including a knife attack, the use of pepper spray, and other forms of intimidation and harassment. It is estimated that at least a dozen of these protestors had to seek medical treatment at local hospitals.

Over the last decade, we have repeatedly seen the threats that the CCP poses to U.S.-based people who dare speak out against Xi Jinping, the Uyghur genocide in Xinjiang, cultural genocide against Tibetans, and other human rights abuses in the PRC. Any assault on the right to free speech and assembly of U.S. residents and visitors is unacceptable.

Therefore, we request that you provide the Select Committee with a briefing regarding the recent attacks on peaceful pro-democracy protestors at the APEC Summit and steps the DOJ is taking to ensure their safety at future protests as soon as possible but no later than December 13, 2023.

The House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party has broad authority to “investigate and submit policy recommendations on the status of the Chinese Communist Party’s economic, technological, and security progress and its competition with the United States” under H. Res. 11.