But China was demanding a thorough investigation and severe punishment of those responsible. During the protests, students threw plastic mineral water bottles, chunks of concrete and red and blue paint balls at the embassy's front doors. Like an angry parade, clumps of protesters from different university groups, as well as the Buddhist Association and Catholic Association, walked toward the embassy, chanting in unison. Police told each group when to stop or go forward. A lot of Chinese can't understand why we were attacked.
People are really upset.
Yet, for the most part, it was business as usual outside the Beijing embassy zone. Many Westerners attended the Chinese Acrobatic Circus, ate at Cantonese restaurants, and toured the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and Ming tombs. Not American Bruce Downing of Vancouver was giving his father, Ralph, a tour of the Friendship Store, a department store originally opened for the expatriate and foreign diplomatic communities and now also frequented by Chinese. He said he relied on the fact that Chinese officials on TV had urged their citizens to refrain from attacking the ''common people'' of America, including business people or tourists. I have never felt any strong anti-American sentiment.