Germany: Raising Awareness about Falun Gong at the Frankfurt Book Fair

The annual Frankfurt Book Fair, one of the largest of its kind, attracted publishers from around the world as usual. On the 13th of October 2007, Falun Gong practitioners held an information day opposite the famous Messe Frankfurt to introduce Falun Gong, expose the Chinese Communist Party’s atrocities of organ harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners and help Chinese visitors withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organisations.

A young girl takes away a petition form

Practitioners started out doing the exercises in the morning chill on an autumn day. The display stand was barely set up when a young German girl with an armful of various books passed by. Seeing the mysterious Eastern culture, she squatted down without a word to read the German illustrations to the exhibits line by line. Having finished, she quietly went to the stand to collect various leaflets and sign the petition to condemn the CCP’s persecution. Before she left, she asked practitioners softly, “May I take away a petition form please? I want to tell my friends and relatives.”

Unanimous support from a family of four

Attracted by the graceful exercise demonstration, a German couple attending the Book Fair with two children inquired in front of the information stand. Having learned the truth about Falun Gong and the CCP’s atrocities of organ harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners, the two children kept asking mom, “Can we sign? Can we sign?” Four people in the family all signed to support Falun Gong. After signing, the older girl went through every kind of leaflet on the table. Practitioners gave her a paper lotus flower and said to the parents, “Baby doesn’t want to leave as she feels sad.” Her mom agreed, “Of course. It’s hard for westerners to believe in today’s society things like that can still happen in the world. But we have experienced the eras of Hitler and Eastern Germany, so we can understand better. Wish you all the luck!” Dad echoed, “Wish you success!”

A doctor wanted to donate

“Falun Gong? You mean, you are Falun Gong?” upon one word of a Falun Gong practitioner, a gentleman strode towards the stand. “Do you collect donations? I would like to donate.” With these words he took out his wallet already. Practitioners explained that they did not take any donation. If he wanted to help, he could sign to condemn the persecution. Taken by surprise, he signed without another word. As it turned out, he was a doctor who had learned the truth about the CCP persecution of Falun Gong through media reports. After signing, he asked a practitioner who had been illegally detained by the CCP about details of persecution in labour camps. Finally, taking the practitioner’s hands, he said, “Your story moved me deeply! Good luck to you and your friends! I wish you success!”

A Chinese man quits the CCP on the spot

Seeing Falun Gong’s information stand from distance, a Chinese gentleman from mainland China walked over. A practitioner told him over twenty seven million people had declared their renouncement of the CCP and its affiliated organisations at the Epoch Times’ website. He admitted he had received recorded phone calls from overseas urging him to quit the CCP. The practitioner asked him, “Did you join the Communist Youth League?” He replied, “I am even a member of the CCP.” So the practitioner told him about the stone in Guizhou with the writing “Chinese Communist Party ends”. Offering him a false name, the practitioner urged him to think about his life and withdraw from the CCP immediately. Smiling, he nodded, “OK! OK!”