Germany: North German Practitioners Expose the Persecution to the Residents of Kassel

On October 29th 2005, North German practitioners congregated to expose the persecution of Falun Gong in China to Kassel’s residents. Kassel has a population of around 200,000.

We found that people were not very receptive at first. Many refused to accept our fliers, or scurried quickly past us. We felt that the environment was cold and not conducive to what we had set out to do.

Information Booth in Kassel

But, after we did the five exercises we felt a lessening of the cold breeze. More and more people could be seen on the Square and stopped by to talk to us, or viewed the torture re-enactment by one of our Chinese practitioners.

Two policemen passed by, stopped at some distance to read the banners and watch the practitioners doing the exercises. They stopped at the table and signed our petition a little while later.

Sending an appeal letter to the German President Horst Köhler:

Dear Mr. President:

We understand that you will meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao, between November the 10th and November 13th 2005, during his state visit to Germany.

My signature signifies my hope that you will use this opportunity wisely and discuss China’s human rights violations, especially concerning the human rights of Falun Gong practitioners. I appeal to you that you exert your authority and request that the Chinese authorities cease immediately the massacre of Falun Gong practitioners and that freedom of thought, freedom of assembly and freedom of believe will again be a given in China, just as it is stipulated by the Constitution of the Peoples Republic of China.

So many people learnt about Falun Gong during our activity.

A man passed by who had been involved for year in the Free Tibet initiative. He understands the Chinese culture and history very well, and was glad to meet someone of like thought. He signed the signature drive without a second thought.

Many children's facial expressions, after viewing the heart-rending pictures of our tortured practitioners in China, become very sad.

I talk with an elderly lady for quite some time. She wants to know everything in detail and asks, like so many others, the question, “What can we do to help?” We all agree that one has to negate the persecution and that one has to show one's unhappiness by signing our signature drive form, taking thus a position regarding the persecution. Also, one should expose the persecution to others, so more people hear about it. I said, “ Who knows who will listen to us at this moment?” pointing towards the heaven. She understood it and smiled when saying goodbye.

There were so many people who wished us, “All the Best” and “God speed,” and they let us know that they valued our efforts.

Originally published in German at: http://www.clearharmony.de/articles/200510/27320.html