Italy: Practitioners Hold Florence Event Calling for End to CCP’s Persecution of Falun Dafa

Falun Dafa practitioners in Tuscany held an event in the center of Roma street in Florence on July 20, 2021 to call for an end to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution which has been ongoing for 22 years. On July 20, 1999, the former CCP leader initiated the persecution against the peaceful spiritual practice, which is based on the universal values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.

With the easing pandemic restrictions the streets of Florence are once again filled with visitors. The city was bathed in warm sunlight as practitioners demonstrated the exercises accompanied by the melodious exercise music. They also told passersby how the CCP persecutes practitioners in China. Many tourists stopped to watch as practitioners demonstrated the graceful exercise movements. People also read the banners and display boards which had information about Falun Dafa and the persecution. Several people signed the petition to call for stopping the persecution.

A tourist from Belgium was attracted by the movements of the third exercise set. He stood on the opposite side of the street and imitated the practitioners’ movements. Seeing that, a practitioner passed him a flyer and told him that he could find a practice site online in his country and also learn more about the practice.

Practitioners demonstrate the exercises as part of the day’s events at the old city center of Florence.

A couple accepted a flyer and listened as a practitioner introduced Falun Dafa. The husband initially did not show much reaction. However, he said he felt moved by the practitioner’s peacefulness and said he was also attracted by the harmonious atmosphere as practitioners did the exercises. He said that he practiced yoga for a long time so he was very respectful of Falun Dafa.

Two young ladies were shocked when they heard about the persecution that is still going on in China. They kept asking how it could be possible, and they repeatedly said that they wanted to do something to stop the evil acts of persecuting practitioners and harvesting their organs while they are still alive. The practitioner invited them to sign the petition and they immediately did.

Two friends passed by the site and stopped to listen to the introduction about Falun Dafa and the ongoing persecution. They were very interested and asked several questions. Before leaving, they once again thanked the practitioners. They said they would go to the Falundafa.org website to find out more and look for the nearest practice site.

Background: What is Falun Dafa?
Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Millions of people have embraced the teachings—which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance as well as five gentle exercises—and experienced uplifted health and well-being.

Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, issued an order to ban the practice.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 22 years. The actual number is believed to be much higher. More have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply the organ transplant industry.

Under Jiang’s personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.