Denmark: Practitioners Raise Awareness of the Persecution While Commemorating Anniversary of April 25th Event

Falun Gong practitioners in Copenhagen, Denmark held activities on April 19, 2014 to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the April 25 peaceful demonstration.

A morning group meditation and exercises at the King's Garden was held, along with an afternoon signature drive at the City Hall Square. Practitioners informed locals and tourists about the goodness of Falun Gong, and raised awareness of the brutal persecution ongoing in China, specifically the widely-reported forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Photo displays were spread on the ground and drew the attention of many people, who read the contents and spoke to practitioners to find out more facts. Many signed the petition calling for an end to the persecution.

Falun Gong practitioners commemorate the 15th anniversary of the April 25th event at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark

Many people who had heard about the persecution signed a petition calling for an end to the brutality of the Chinese Communist regime, and some took this opportunity to learn about Falun Gong and the persecution. Some people were taken by the slow and gentle movements of the Falun Gong exercises, and started to learn how to practice right there.

More Awareness and Growing Support
One middle-aged couple signed a petition opposing the persecution after they understood the facts. They returned shortly afterwards, and asked a practitioner why the Chinese Communist regime was harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners.

The practitioner explained to them that the regime made many policies in order to eradicate Falun Gong. One of them was “destroying them physically.” The policy led to the killing of Falun Gong practitioners. Meanwhile, Falun Gong practitioners are healthy, and don't smoke, drink, or take drugs. They are targeted by the regime, who makes lucrative profits from live harvesting of their organs.

Tourists sign petition condemning the brutal persecution of Falun Gong

Some people hurriedly passed by, but many paused to learn what was happening, and signed the petition condemning the Chinese regime's brutality before they rushed off.

One lady had to catch a bus and didn't have enough time to sign the petition. While walking hastily, she sincerely told a practitioner, “I promise, I promise, I'll sign it online.”

A lady in her seventies showed great interest in the Falun Gong exercises, but she didn't feel that it was right to display the horrible photos that exposed the brutal persecution to the people living in peaceful countries.

A practitioner explained to her, “These are real situations in China. How will the persecution be stopped if these crimes were not exposed to the public? Even more horrific is that the Chinese regime has systematically harvested organs from living Falun Gong practitioners to make profit. Such crimes are unprecedented in the world. When people become aware of these facts, they will make a choice, and that's why so many people have signed the petition condemning the persecution.”

The elderly lady's doubt was dissolved, and she signed the petition. She asked for information about practice site, and hoped to obtain health through practising Falun Gong. She finally said that she would tell other members of her association about what she had learned.

Background
On April 25, 1999, over 10,000 practitioners quietly demonstrated at Zhongnanhai, the compound of the central government, asking that the law recognize their legal right to practice, and that practitioners who had been detained by the Tianjin Police Department be released. The practitioners left peacefully after then-Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji met with their representatives, agreed to release the Tianjin practitioners, and assured the representatives that the government did not oppose Falun Gong.

Each year on April 25, practitioners around the world hold activities to commemorate this landmark event.