July 20, 2009, marked the tenth year of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) brutal persecution of Falun Gong. In order to let more people know about the persecution and help stop the CCP's atrocities, Falun Gong practitioners in the Netherlands held a series of activities in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague.
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| The Metro, a popular newspaper in the Netherlands, published a large photo of Falun Gong practitioners doing the exercises at Dam Square on July 17, 2009 |
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| Protesting the persecution on front of the Chinese Embassy in The Hague |
In Amsterdam: Exposing the CCP's Persecution
On July 16, practitioners held activities at Dam Square in downtown Amsterdam to expose the persecution. Amsterdam is a tourist destination, and it attracts a lot of tourists from around the world during the season. The practitioners prepared flyers in multiple languages. The tourists who had learned the truth signed the petition to condemn the persecution.
An Indonesian woman of Dutch nationality carefully read the informational banners that reflected the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. She kept wiping tears from her face, and said to a practitioner in a choked voice, "I'll tell these facts to my family and friends, to let more people learn about this and help stop the persecution."
A Dutch woman took a flyer from a practitioner. As soon as she returned home, she got on the Falun Gong website in the Netherlands and found a practice site in Amsterdam. Two days later, she came to the practice site to learn Falun Gong.
The Metro, a popular newspaper in the Netherlands, published a large photo of Falun Gong practitioners doing the exercises at Dam Square on July 17, 2009.
On July 18, practitioners went to the world-famous port city of Rotterdam. Business centres in Rotterdam are always packed with bustling crowds on Saturdays. After having learned the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution, many people signed the petition to condemn the CCP's persecution.
A fashion shop clerk heard the music of "Pudu," and thought it was so beautiful that she came out of the shop to find out more from a practitioner. She then returned to the shop with petition forms. Shortly after, she brought back the petition form filled with signatures of her colleagues.
A person that worked for a Telecom shop nearby was moved after learning the facts, and invited practitioners to his shop to have a cup of coffee.
On July 20, practitioners went to the Chinese Embassy in The Hague early in the morning to protest the persecution. They arranged a long row of candles on the sidewalk to mourn the practitioners who have died as a result of the persecution in China. The practitioners also distributed truth clarification materials to people lining up outside the embassy to have visas issues. The activity lasted until the embassy was closed.
In the afternoon, the practitioners went to Parliament Square in The Hague to demonstrate the exercises and clarify the facts. The Dutch Falun Dafa Association then delivered an open letter to the Dutch Parliament, in hopes that the Dutch government will help stop the ten-year ongoing persecution of Falun Gong in China.
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