Practitioners Hold Petition Drive in Philadelphia to Rescue Charles Li

On March 22 and 23 2003, to rescue American citizen Dr. Charles Li who was unconstitutionally sentenced to jail in China, Falun Gong practitioners from the greater Philadelphia area went to Chinatown and the famous tourist attraction, the Liberty Bell. The Bell symbolises American freedom and democracy and practitioners felt this to be a fitting place to launch a petition drive and appeal to the US government and public to help bring Dr. Li home safely.

The weather over the weekend was extremely good. Tourists passing by could see from afar the banners reading, "Stop Persecuting Falun Gong" and "Help Rescue Dr. Xiangchun Li" (Charles Li's Chinese name). Many people came over to sign the petition. Some asked for more information about Falun Gong practitioners who are being persecuted in China. Some Chinese tourists who had come to the US to visit their family members, saw many people openly practising Falun Gong outside China and saw through the lies that had been created by the Jiang regime's deceiving propaganda. A visitor, seeing that his fellow tourist dared not to accept the Falun Gong materials being handed out by a practitioner, persuaded him: "Take one and see what it says." One man, an American who recently watched practitioners' exercise demonstrations at a party to celebrate the Chinese New Year, came to the Liberty Bell on both Saturday and Sunday to learn and practise Falun Gong. He remarked that the Chinese government was wrong to persecute such a peaceful practise, which teaches people to be good. He has already experienced the serenity and peace of practising the exercises.

Practitioners who were taking part in the petition drive expressed that they will keep appealing until Dr. Li safely returns home and they will let the entire world realise that the Jiang regime's persecution and human rights violations have been extended to American citizens. There is nothing wrong in upholding the belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. In this situation, where countless Falun Gong practitioners who are trying to become better people are being illegally imprisoned and even tortured to death, while all information channels are blocked by the Jiang regime; in this environment where brutal persecution is taking place, all peaceful ways to tell the real story to the Chinese people, including overriding TV transmissions are legal and reasonable, because those are brave and just actions that resist tyranny and seek justice for the people.

Since the Jiang regime began persecuting Falun Gong, practitioners from the greater Philadelphia area have continued to go to Chinatown and the Liberty Bell to explain the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution to Chinese tourists and to appeal to all kind-hearted people throughout the world who love peace and freedom to help stop the unprecedented brutal persecution.