As a result of pressure from China, permission for Falun Gong to hold activities during the Chinese New Year was withdrawn despite practitioners obtaining permission through proper legal channels. This has caused an infringement upon the public rights of a legal group in France. On January the 20th, the French Falun Dafa Association held a press conference in the French News Club to expose the facts of the Chinese Embassy's infringement.

Mainstream media interviewed Falun Gong practitioners about this. AFP, The International Herald Tribune, France Info, the French International Broadcasting Station, and European mainstream media all reported the news. There were even reporters who called the relevant official departments to express their concern.