Chinese New Year celebrations in Beijing were marred yesterday by further attempts by Falun Gong members to protest on Tiananmen Square a day after five members set themselves on fire in a mass suicide attempt.
At least three members of the banned spiritual movement were reported to have penetrated a huge security cordon to gain access to the square.
One female member shouted "Falun Dafa is good" before paramilitary police frogmarched her away.
Security was extremely tight at Tiananmen Square as millions celebrated the start of the Year of the Snake.
The Irish Times counted as many as 20 buses, many filled with soldiers, parked in a cordoned-off area. The atmosphere was tense as visitors were checked before entering the popular tourist area and plain-clothes police were in evidence.
Fire extinguishers were stacked around the square after Tuesday's protest in which a man and four women doused themselves with petrol and set themselves ablaze.
One is reported to have died. Falun Gong is still not accepting that they were members of the movement.
However, the official Chinese news agency, Xinhua, said one of the women died of her injuries. There was no word on the condition of the others.
Chinese-language state media yesterday made no mention of the protests. The only account appeared on Xinhua's English-language wire service.
China's human rights record is under the spotlight as the International Olympic Committee prepares to inspect the city in February before a final vote on a host city for the 2008 Games is made in July.
There were fears of a repeat of last year's ugly New Year scenes when police punched and kicked elderly Falun Gong demonstrators in Tiananmen Square.
Xinhua said yesterday that those who set themselves on fire had been "hoodwinked by the evil fallacies of Li Hongzhi", the New York-based Chinese founder of Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa.
Meanwhile, millions all over China celebrated the start of the lunar New Year yesterday. Beijing experienced a frantic consumer rush, akin to the build-up to Christmas in Ireland, ahead of the celebrations.
Huge crowds were reported at the Jian Hypermarket in Chaoyangmen, one of Beijing's main shopping spots, on New Year's Eve.
Interest rate cuts, wage increases, and a tax on savings resulted on a huge spending splurge.
During the Chinese New Year families gather together and share a banquet. New Year delicacies such as "grasslands chicken" and "imperial duck" are popular holiday dishes.
Hundreds of thousands flocked to "Temple Fairs" throughout Beijing with open air entertainment, fun fairs and stalls.
All state offices were closed yesterday, with many shut for the rest of the week.