Germany: Large Parade through the City of Berlin

Over 500 practitioners arrived at the square in front of the Town Hall in Berlin just before 8am, and began to practise the Falun Gong exercises together. The sounds of the exercise music, the gentle movements and the serene energy field mixed with the soft brightness of the winter morning to form a peaceful and harmonious occasion. People finding their way to work stopped to watch and get a leaflet. After 90 minutes of practice, practitioners prepared themselves for the parade.


Morning exercise practice	Parade

At the front of the parade, female practitioners dressed in white carried pictures encircled in wreaths of practitioners in China whose lives have been brought to a tragic end by Jiang’s Genocide. The colour white is a traditional colour of mourning in China, and reflected the deep respect and sadness which practitioners feel for those who have lost their lives to uphold Falun Gong’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. The parade moved at a solemn pace, and those holding the wreaths walked with the dignity that the deceased deserved; the dignity which was stripped from them by a persecution devoid of humanity targetting the innocent with torture, beatings and abuse, and which has no respect for even the most basic human rights.

Behind the wreaths were lots of different bright and colourful banners. Carried by practitioners from many different countries across Europe and around the world. This colourful array of banners, with different styles and messages, reflected the variety of cultures, societies and countries where Dafa has spread, finding its home in the hearts of people from all walks of life.

The parade moved steadily down a famous Street in Berlin, Unter den Linden, attracting much interest as it moved into the shopping and tourist areas of the city. Many people stopped to watch the parade, and to listen to the announcement over a loudspeaker, explaining the purpose of the parade, giving a brief introduction to Falun gong and exposing the crimes of Jiang Zemin. Large numbers of people took leaflets, many stopping to read them on the spot, or talk with practitioners.


		People talking to practitioners

The parade finished at the historic Brandenburg Gate where the practitioners stood quietly holding the banners while a few short speeches were given. A group of Chinese tourists were clearly very surprised to see the parade and the large number of western practitioners. They were even more surprised when one of them walked over and began to talk about Falun Gong in Mandarin.