Seventeen years ago on July 20, 1999, former Chinese president Jiang Zemin launched a brutal persecution against the peaceful spiritual practice of Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong. Since that time, hundreds of thousands of Dafa practitioners have been imprisoned and tortured, thousands have died due to torture and abuse, and an untold number have fallen victim to state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting.
For the past 17 years, practitioners inside and outside of China have continued to raise awareness of Falun Dafa and expose the persecution in an effort to bring an end to the atrocities.
Each year around July 20, practitioners around the world hold special events to draw increased awareness of what is happening in China. Here we report on events throughout Europe.
Sweden
Falun Gong practitioners in Stockholm held events in busy downtown, parks, and well-known tourist destinations from July 19 to 24, 2016. They set up poster boards, demonstrated the exercises, and reenacted the CCP's live organ harvesting to raise awareness of the atrocities in China.
The reenactment drew the attention of many tourists who were shocked at the brutality occurring in China. Many signed a petition to help stop the atrocity.
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| Falun Gong practitioners perform the exercises by Vasa Museum, Stockholm | Falun Gong practice near Stockholm City Hall |
Two sisters from China looked at the poster boards. Due to the CCP's misleading propaganda, they initially had negative views. One of them said, “Why does Falun Gong seem so different here than what we saw on the news in China?”
A practitioner explained how the brutal persecution began and about the CCP's lies and propaganda defaming Falun Gong. The two were finally convinced and decided to oppose the persecution by withdrawing their memberships in the Communist Party's organizations.
England
After attending activities in the United States to provide updates on their earlier investigations on forced organ harvesting in China, David Matas and Ethan Gutmann arrived in London on June 28 for several meetings at the Houses of Parliament. The hearing on June 30, in particular, drew widespread attention.
Lauren Vidler from Human Rights Without Frontiers International said the British government should not neglect the persecution of Falun Gong in China.
Lauren Vidler from Human Rights Without Frontiers International was shocked by what she heard at the meeting. She said such a large-scale, vicious suppression was similar to acts of religious cleansing.
Commenting that the severity of the suppression in China was “beyond imagination,” she said, “This just shows how badly the communist party has mistreated Falun Gong.”
She said that the West should pay close attention to this issue: “We cannot include human rights in our constitution while ignoring what is happening in real life.”
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| Lauren Vidler from Human Rights Without Frontiers International said the British government should not neglect the persecution of Falun Gong in China | Torie Robinson said no one should remain silent in the face of brutality such as forced organ harvesting |
Torie Robinson, career consultant and strategist, watched the documentary Hard to Believe on forced organ harvesting on June 30 and said, “I was horribly shocked.”
Given the nature, immense scale, and severity of the crime, she said that many other issues Western governments pay attention “pale in comparison.”
She expected to see more such reports in the news: “I know some news media have been influenced [by the Chinese Communist Party]; nonetheless, we need to know the truth and we must take actions to resolve this [forced organ harvesting].”
Greece
Practitioners gathered in the beautiful coastal city of Thessaloniki on July 16. They demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises, put up display boards and a video presentation, and collected signatures calling to end the persecution in China.
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In Athens, practitioners talked to tourists at the seaside village of Paralia about the persecution in China and the communist regime's killing of prisoners of conscience for their organs, most of whom are Falun Gong practitioners.
Switzerland
Practitioners rallied in Geneva at Wilson Hall, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, on July 19.
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| Practitioners rally in front of Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights | MP and Councilor Marc Falquet and Falun Gong practitioners Barthia and Orlandini hand a letter cosigned by Members of Parliament of Republic and Canton of Geneva to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |
Marc Falquet, Member of Parliament of Republic and Canton of Geneva and former Chairman of the Human Rights Commission, spoke at the rally.
“We rally here today for justice, not vengeance. We appeal to stop those who are responsible for and profiting from the crime of forced human organ harvesting, and hand them to the International Criminal Court,” Mr. Falquet said.
Mr. Falquet stated that his colleagues condemn forced organ harvesting and support Falun Gong practitioners' efforts against the persecution.
“It is our effort, too. It is an opposition of persecution from all human rights advocates in the world,” Mr. Falquet said.
Russia
Russian practitioners held events in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod on July 20.
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| Practitioners do the Falun Gong exercises near the Chinese Embassy in Moscow on July 20 | Candlelight vigil in memory of practitioners tortured to death in China for refusing to renounce their faith |
Czech Republic
Practitioners held a rally and a candlelight vigil at Hradcanske Plaza in front of the Presidential Palace in Prague.
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| Demonstrating the Falun Gong exercises at Hradcanske Plaza | Candlelight vigil in memory of practitioners killed in the persecution in China |
Norway
Practitioners conducted a peaceful sitting protest in front of the Chinese Embassy in Oslo in the morning, demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises in Royal Park at around noon, and then held a signature drive near Parliament Hall.
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| Ms. Camilla and Benedikte signed a petition to stop forced live organ harvesting in China |
Italy
Practitioners in Milan set up banners and passed out flyers near the Chinese Consulate on July 20.
Many passersby learned about the persecution and expressed their support for practitioners' efforts. A number of Chinese learned about the crimes committed by the communist regime and decided to quit the Party and its youth organizations.
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Belgium
Practitioners rallied in front of the Brussels office of the Chinese liaison to the European Union on July 20.
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Ireland
Various events were held in Dublin on July 16. Practitioners rallied in the city center, demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises, and put on torture re-enactments to raise awareness of how practitioners are brutalized by the Chinese regime.
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| Practitioners demonstrate the Falun Gong meditation exercise in Dublin on July 16 | Crowds sign a petition calling to end the persecution of Falun Gong in China |
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