SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has condemned persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual movement in China.
China banned Falun Gong in 1999 and has imprisoned some members of the organization it calls a cult.
The board approved a resolution on a 9-2 vote Tuesday after removing language specifically blaming China. The resolution also omitted organizers of San Francisco's Lunar New Year parade, who excluded Falun Gong from participating, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Supervisor Fiona Ma -- the only Asian-American on the board -- voted for the resolution despite newspaper advertising placed by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce that attacked her and called Falun Gong a "homophobic cult." Ma said her vote stands up for the U.S. Constitution guarantee of freedom of religion.
Falun Gong members planned to sue the city in Superior Court to stop it from funding the parade, the newspaper said.
