Isn’t this akin to taking teddy bears away from babies? It’s a disheartening follow-up to our earlier post.
Chinese police don’t embrace free hugs
Monday, November 6, 2006. 6:44pm (AEDT)
Chinese police have rounded up a group of people who tried to offer free hugs to passers-by on a busy street in downtown Shanghai.
Organisers say they began the campaign after seeing an Internet video of a man in Australia offering free hugs on a street. They say they wanted to melt coldness in people’s hearts with their hugs.
Police detained 11 ‘huggers’ and confiscated their signs. The group was released after about an hour in police custody. Authorities say their actions were deemed illegal because they did not have a permit.
Plans for other hugging sessions over the next fortnight have been put on hold.
– AFP
