Latvia: Raising Awareness of the Persecution of Falun Gong in Three Cities

Falun Gong practitioners in Latvia visited three cities–Ventspils, Liepaja, and the capital, Riga–to raise awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Latvia has a population of over two million and is located in northeastern Europe. Local practitioners first learned Falun Gong in 1997, and often do the exercises in groups in public parks.

The Freedom Monument in Riga is a popular tourist attraction. Many visitors and local residents signed a petition condemning the persecution in China. Some mentioned that they had met practitioners in other countries.

Passersby read the practitioners' posters and watch them demonstrate the Falun Gong exercises

Chinese tourists took photos, read the posters describing Falun Gong and the persecution, and took informational materials to read.

One Chinese woman signed the petition and said she was aware of the Communist Party's brutality. She took a photo with a practitioner and wished them success. She also explained the persecution to her companions, who were shocked.

A Chinese visitor poses for a photo with a Falun Gong practitioner and expressed her support for the practitioners' efforts against the persecution

Three students asked why the practitioners were holding the event. One practitioner explained that Falun Gong is a self-cultivation practice, why the CCP is persecuting the group, and the Chinese regime's state-sanctioned organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners. The students said that they had new understanding of the world, as they had never heard of these atrocities.

One student said she would tell her family and friends. They thanked the practitioner for letting them know about the persecution.

Chinese tourists pause to look at the large Falun Gong banner