KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to China, National Day celebrations in Beijing were tarnished by protests and arrests. Police rounded up hundreds of members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement today in Tiananmen Square. It comes as the country celebrates the 51st anniversary of communist rule. CNN's Lisa Weaver has more.</s>LISA WEAVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "We're being beaten. We're being arrested. Take a look at the real situation," says one member of the Falun Gong sect. She was among hundreds who slipped through tight security to take their protest to the political heart of China, Tiananmen Square. Police rounded up protesters, shoved them into vans and took them away. Eyewitnesses say some 300 people were detained in the first hour alone. Their exact destination was not clear, but usually Falun Gong members are detained for a few hours before being released. The group, which blends Buddhism, Taoism and Chinese martial arts, claims millions of supporters throughout China. The government banned Falun Gong more than one year ago in the wake of a large demonstration in the Chinese capital. Since then, the government maintains the group threatens social stability. The demonstrations were no surprise for Chinese authorities. They had been on the alert for hours before Falun Gong practitioners reached Tiananmen Square, as police tried to separate them from regular onlookers celebrating China's National Day. Lisa Weaver, CNN, Beijing.
Chinese Police Round up Falun Gong Members in Tiananmen Square