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Li Yang makes a speech in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province in this March 11, 2012 file photo. [Photo/Asianewsphoto]

Protesters disrupted a speech by the founder of a well-known language institute on Sunday in Nanjing, holding up signs against domestic violence and distributing material at the scene.

Li Yang, known for his high-energy Crazy English language classes around China, was accused in August last year of beating his American wife in front of their daughters. The couple is now in the midst of divorce proceedings.

When Li was giving a speech about learning English in a hall on Sunday, two protesters suddenly stood up and held signs reading: "English skills are easy to learn, but the pain of domestic violence is hard to relieve".

Hundreds of children and their parents were in the hall.

Li did not stop his speech, and within a minute, staff members from his team took the signs from the protesters and asked them to leave.

"They also violently took away our materials when we distributed them to the audience," said a protester surnamed Wu.

"In this non-violent way we want to remind Li that domestic violence is against the law," said another protester surnamed He.

"As a teacher, it's Li's responsibility to tell people how to act properly," said Wu, who also works as a social worker.

Li's wife, Kim Lee, posted photographs online last August showing injuries she said were caused by Li.

Li's behavior has aroused heat discussion about domestic violence in China.

According to statistics from the All China Women's Federation, about 24.7 percent of Chinese women have experienced domestic abuse.

An anti-domestic violence law is on the legislative agenda of the China's National People's Congress in 2012.

It is the fifth proposal for a comprehensive anti-violence law submitted by the All China Women's Federation to the National People's Congress since 2008.