France: Telling People of Paris about the Persecution of Falun Gong in China on International Human Rights Day

The lockdown in France is being slowly lifted since the beginning of December. Falun Dafa practitioners gathered at the Homme Museum, at the Place de la République, and in the 13th Arrondissement of Paris around International Human Rights Day to introduce Falun Dafa, raise awareness of the persecution, and collect signatures on a petition to abolish the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

It was drizzling on the Place de la République in the afternoon on December 13, 2020. Due to the pandemic, mostly Parisians were roaming the streets—very few tourists. Seeing the Falun Dafa practitioners holding their event despite the rain, some people took the initiative to sign the petition and learn about Falun Dafa and others asked for newspapers, Falun Dafa fliers, and addresses of the Falun Dafa practice sites in Paris. Practitioners helped Chinese passersby quit the CCP and its youth organizations.

Practitioners told people about Falun Gong and the persecution and demonstrated the exercises on December 13.

People from all Backgrounds Share Their Thoughts
When Celine Raynal, a circus performer, passed by the plaza, she asked to sign the petition. She said, “If this involves killing and harming human life, it is a crime. Crimes against people and the persecution itself cause mental as well as physical damage.” She expressed her concern about the current situation in Hong Kong, where the people are targets of CCP persecution. She has been to China and did not expect a persecution like this was happening there. She said, “The CCP is no longer a political party, it is a dictatorship that kills people. They are criminals. When it endangers the well-being of its people, it is no longer called a political party. It is just someone abusing their political power to commit sins and evil.”

Celine agreed that Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are very good values and that society should follow these values so we can live in harmony. She said, “‘Truthfulness’ urges us to treat each other with sincerity, ‘Compassion’ allows people to live together with wisdom, and ‘Forbearance’ is what we all need, because the world nowadays is moving too fast.”

Daniel Alban, a retired engineer, was born in Romania and worked in France for 30 years. He said, “The CCP is a tyrant that uses technology to control people’s thoughts and uses terror to secure its power. They want everybody to be equal. If there are flowers of different colours and shapes at the park, they will use Marxist and Communist thoughts to solve the problem. This has always been the case. It is truly a pity for China. I really liked China.”

Coming from a former communist country, Daniel knows very well what communism is like because he and his family suffered under its rule. His father was once a professor. He was imprisoned and later died there because he was wealthy and owned a private residence. The burden of raising four children fell on his mother. He said, “The CCP persecutes Falun Dafa practitioners without even considering the health and peace of its people.” He believes that Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are true values of the universe. After going through a period of confusion and chaos, he believes, these values will remain, but many will be sacrificed.

Chine is a baker from Algeria. Since his last name means “China” in French, he felt a very strong connection to China. He was very shocked to learn about forced live organ harvesting for profits. He said, “Not even a wild animal would do such a horrible thing. I cannot believe it. The Chinese are kind, hardworking, and well-educated. Why would the CCP do such a thing?” A practitioner told him that it was an evil act and only a demon would do such a thing. After signing the petition, Chine said he hoped that the persecution would end soon.

Practitioners in front of the Homme Museum on December 6.

Benjamin is a university student majoring in digital engineering. When he saw Falun Dafa practitioners at the Homme Museum on December 6, 2020, he said, “I am shocked to hear that people are still so calm when they learn about the persecution. This reminds me of the European forces facing Hitler in the early days of World War II. People thought that he was not that bad. Even after they knew about the Nuremberg Laws Hitler was passing, many still remained silent. People are now choosing to be silent about the CCP because of their profits and gains in China. They only consider their immediate interests and never give any thought to the fact that they might be taken over by the CCP. It is quite sad when one forgets about basic human rights in favour of personal profits and gains.

“People seemed apathetic to learn about the CCP’s forced live organ harvesting and the media is doing a disservice to the people. They are afraid of the CCP. The more we wait, the stronger the CCP gets. We need to do something about it right now. If we keep retreating, the CCP will invade Taiwan and the China Sea, and by that time it would be too late. Europe needs to take action now. It is time to disintegrate the CCP. People have turned a blind eye to the Xinjiang concentration camps and accepted the invasion of Hong Kong. This is not right. Living in a free world of the 21st century, we have been taking everything for granted. We have been giving in to tyrants who are acting with impunity.”