Northern California: Falun Gong Practitioners Gathered for Two Days to Condemn China's Show Trial of Charles Li

During the Jiang regime's show trial of innocent Dafa practitioner Charles Li, Northern Californian Falun Gong practitioners gathered for two days in front of the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco and California's capitol in Sacramento, respectively, to condemn the show trial.

At 4:30 p.m. on March 20, 2003, San Francisco Dafa practitioners gathered in front of the Chinese consulate and sent forth righteous thoughts [Thinking upright righteous thoughts to purify oneself and surroundings] to protest the persecution of Charles Li.

At 12 p.m. on March 21, 2003, the practitioners gathered in Sacramento, the capital of California, and held a press conference in front of the state capitol. During the conference, practitioners pointed out, "During the last three years, there have been more than 600 confirmed cases of practitioners tortured to death by the police. Hundreds of thousands of practitioners have been illegally sentenced to prison or labour camp and brutally tortured. Jiang's regime has never followed the law to deal with Dafa practitioners. Instead, the regime manipulates the law by setting up new rules or trampling laws at will to persecute the practitioners."

A practitioner said, "It is the Jiang regime that should be tried, not Charles Li. Today, the regime shamelessly holds a show trial of this innocent Dafa practitioner, Charles Li. We condemn such an absurd show trial and the nearly four-year long brutal persecution."

In the conference, a representative of Amnesty International delivered a speech to condemn the Jiang regime's persecution of the Chinese people, especially Falun Gong practitioners by torture and other inhumane means.

In the conference, letters were read from the Vice Mayor of Sacramento, Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) calling for the immediate release of Dr. Charles Li.

It was bright with sunshine in Sacramento during the day. Officials, staff and visitors passed by the press conference venue. There were also many students led by teachers to visit the capital. Dafa practitioners took this opportunity to clarify the truth to them and collect signatures. Many were indignant after learning of Charles Li's arrest and enquired how to help.

Before and after the press conference, the practitioners also visited almost all of the offices of state assembly members to explain the facts to the members of the assembly and their staff.