Sweden: Falun Dafa Practitioners Commemorate April 25 Appeal

Falun Dafa practitioners commemorated the 22th anniversary of the historic April 25 appeal in China and protested the Chinese regime’s persecution of their faith in front of the Chinese Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden at 9 a.m. on April 24, 2021. Mr. Li Zhihe, a practitioner from Beijing who participated in the peaceful appeal on April 25, 1999, recalled his experience and called on the world to see the true nature of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Due to the pandemic, the Swedish government restricts activities to no more than eight participants. The weather was frigid and windy during the practitioners' events. People praised their perseverance and their peaceful resistance to the persecution in China that has lasted nearly 22 years. Many people gave them thumbs-up, and some drivers honked their horns in support.

Falun Dafa practitioners commemorated the 22nd anniversary of the April 25 appeal and protested the persecution of Falun Dafa in front of the Chinese Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden on the morning of April 24, 2021.

April 25 Appeal Participant Calls on People to Stay Away from the CCP

Mr. Li Zhihe, who worked at the China Railway Construction Corporation, was almost unable to work due to an intervertebral disc problem. His friend told him about Falun Dafa and he began practice in early October 1997. In less than two weeks, his health issues were resolved and he felt comfortable and happy. After that, he became a voluntary assistant at the Falun Dafa group exercise site in his company’s residential compound. He has never stopped practicing Falun Dafa since then.

Mr. Li Zhihe, who participated in the historic appeal on April 25, 1999, calls on the CCP to immediately stop persecuting Falun Dafa.

Mr. Li Zhihe recalled, “On the morning of April 25, 1999, I heard that practitioners in Tianjin were arrested when they went to a magazine office to discuss some falsehoods they had published about Dafa. I decided to go to the National Appeals Office [in Beijing] to clarify the facts. No one organized practitioners to do this; it was each person’s own decision.”

Zhihe said he arrived at Fuyou Street outside the appeals office before 6 a.m. and saw many people already there. “Officers were at every intersection. Obviously, they were prepared and ready. I also noticed officers directing many people towards Liubukou and Beihai. I followed the flow of people, followed the officers’ guidance, and stood wherever I was told to stand. Practitioners helped maintain order and kept the sidewalks open. The traffic was not affected at all.”

He said, “That day, the entire length of Fuyou Street all the way to Xidan was lined with practitioners, far more than 10,000. The CCP recorded the event with cameras and knows how many people were there. A camera car slowly moved past us while recording people standing by the side of the road. Practitioners calmly faced the camera. The CCP has consistently covered up the truth and lied to the public. It does not dare to disclose the true figures.

“Because there were so many people, the news quickly passed from person to person. We did not see the people who went in for talks [with then Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji] come out, so everyone just stood there quietly, waiting for the outcome. When word came around 9 p.m. that the practitioners arrested in Tianjin had been released, everyone left immediately. As we left, we picked up litter on the road as well as cigarette butts that the police officers discarded. We left the area completely clean. This is what truly happened that day, which the CCP's media slandered and claimed was Falun Dafa practitioners’ ‘siege of Zhongnanhai.’”

Zhihe said, “I stood there for more than ten hours. My back felt a little tired at about two or three o’clock in the afternoon, so I moved to the back and rested for a while. Suddenly, I felt a warm current go through my entire body from the top of my head. I immediately felt very comfortable. That day, I basically didn’t eat or drink. But I did not feel thirsty or hungry—instead I felt relaxed. Once again, I experienced the beauty of Falun Dafa.”

Zhihe always sighs with emotion whenever he recalls the event. “The April 25 Appeal shows the world that Falun Dafa not only resolves health issues but also improves people's morals,” he said. “It benefits the people and the country. I feel honored and proud that I’m a practitioner. All Falun Dafa practitioners and I are here today [in Stockholm] to remind people of the April 25 appeal and tell them the facts to help them recognize the CCP’s evil nature.”

Swedes Condemn Persecution of Falun Dafa
Practitioners went to the parliament building in the center of Stockholm around noon and continued to tell people about the April 25 appeal and the CCP’s fabrications about the event, such as how practitioners staged a “siege” of the central government compound.

Passersby stop to read the informational boards, watch the practitioners demonstrate the exercises, and talk to practitioners to learn more.

The cold weather didn't stop people from pausing to read the information. After learning more about Falun Dafa, people signed a petition to support practitioners’ efforts and condemn the CCP's brutality.

Esteban, a native of Venezuela, is a doctor who works in a hospital near the city center. He read all the information boards carefully and then signed the petition. He pointed at the board with a Falun emblem and said to a practitioner, “I feel it is very interesting. It is this Falun emblem that attracted me. I read all the information carefully. I am a physician, but I think that mental problems are more troublesome than physical problems. Modern people have lost their true selves in their pursuit of material gain. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is very good. It can help people find their true selves. I agree with these principles.”

He was angry when he learned how the CCP persecutes Falun Dafa practitioners who practice Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and even kills them for their organs. He said, “Now I understand that you came here to do something very important.” Before he left, he took a lot of information, including an investigative report about organ harvesting. He said that he would read it carefully and follow the latest developments.

Christin, who lives in Stockholm, said he was attracted by the quiet and peaceful scene of practitioners doing the exercises. He stopped to watch for a long time. When he learned that Falun Dafa is persecuted in China, he said, “I know the CCP is a dictatorship. I know more about the CCP’s persecution in Tibet, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong. I didn’t expect the persecution of Falun Dafa to be even more tragic. I must help you!”

He signed the petition and said, “Now the CCP has extended its claws to the whole world. I feel that Europe is also in danger. It’s just coming at a slower pace. If we all turn a blind eye to it, then gradually Sweden will become like China. All kind people must stand up and work together to stop the CCP demon.” He said signing a petition is a good way for people to stand up to stop the persecution and speak up for justice. He said, “You have done a great job. I will not only sign but also help you spread the word.”

At the end of the event, a young man waved at practitioners and said in Chinese, “I will always be your friend.” He said that he likes China but doesn’t like the CCP. He sympathized with and admired Falun Dafa. He said he knew that practitioners came here every weekend and persevered in raising awareness. He said he brought his friend a few weeks earlier to learn about the persecution and sign the petition.