Denmark: Human Rights Torch Arrives in Copenhagen

On the 6th of October 2007, the Human Rights Torch was passed from the Netherlands to Denmark’s capital Copenhagen. It was a rare sunny day during the autumn season. The deep blue sky and bright sunlight seemed to shine for the arrival of the Human Rights Torch. At 12pm, Pastor Leif Bork Hansen, a member of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) and a human rights activist, presented the ceremony in Copenhagen’s largest square, the Kongens Nytorv, also known as King’s New Square.

All present wore yellow ribbons in support of lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who has lost his freedom due to persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and is still being persecuted in China.

Speakers included former Danish senior congressman and president of the Danish Institute for Human Rights committee Bijorn Elmquist, Canadian lawyer and author of “Bloody Harvest Revised Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China” David Matas, former EU member and Danish radio broadcaster Ole Gerstrm, Falun Gong practitioner who was persecuted for three and a half years in prison in China Ms. Bao Xuezhen and president of the Danish Chinese Human Rights Web Christoffer Brekne. They revealed the ways in which the CCP ruins lives, persecutes people and their crimes against humanity. The speakers’ voices united to claim that the CCP has no right to host the 2008 Olympics as its behaviour is against humanity. Hans Kristin Neerskov, another member of the CIPFG and president of the Danish Sakharov committee, closed the ceremony.

Pastor Leif Bork Hansen, a member of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) and a human rights activist, presented the ceremony

Former Danish senior congressman and president of the Danish Institute for Human Rights committee Bijorn Elmquist

Canadian lawyer and author of “Bloody Harvest Revised Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China” David Matas

Former EU member and Danish radio broadcaster Ole Gerstrm

Falun Gong practitioner who was persecuted for three and a half years in prison in China Ms. Bao Xuezhen

President of the Danish Chinese Human Rights Web Christoffer Brekne

Hans Kristin Neerskov, another member of the CIPFG and president of the Danish Sakharov committee

A group of Danish people, holding placards supporting human rights in Burma and demonstrating against the CCP’s backstage control went past the square. When they saw the Human Rights Torch ceremony condemning the CCP, they immediately joined to protest against the CCP’s control and support for the tyranny and massacring of citizens in Burma.

At 1pm, three Human Rights Torches were lit during the playing of the Human Rights Torch theme song, reaching the climax of the ceremony. All present were holding banners and following the lead of the torch, which ran once around the square, and then set off towards the town council square.

Around 2pm, all participants in the relay arrived back at King’s New Square. All present passed the torch around to those nearby with sacred feelings, proud at the moment when they held the torch high. Passers by were touched, and were drawn towards the square into the ceremony. Leaflets and yellow ribbons were being received everywhere.

At 3pm, the Human Rights Torch relay in Copenhagen successfully ended. The people of Denmark passed the three torches to the next stop, Sweden’s third largest city, Malmo