Explaining the Facts to the People of Geneva on the Rue Du Mont Blanc

On the 16th of March 2004, following the previous day's large-scale appeal outside the UN, the presence of so many practitioners in the city was used to clarify the facts to the people of Geneva. At various locations around the city, it was arranged for groups of practitioners to practice the exercises, hand out leaflets and materials and display information about the persecution. One such location was on Rue Du Mont Blanc, a very busy street which runs between the main station and the lake.

The bright, warm sunny day had brought people out of the cafes onto the streetside chairs and tables. The clear view of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe, from which the street gets its name, was supplemented with the sight of practitioners performing the serene exercises. The sound of the exercise music blended with the sound of cars passing and people chatting over coffee.

People stopped to watch the exercises and many accepted flyers from practitioners. Many of those who did not accept flyers had already acquired them from practitioners handing out flyers in other locations in the city. Bright yellow balloons, saying "Falun Dafa is good" in Chinese and English were given out in a constant stream to grateful children and parents. Many people stopped to talk at length about Falun Gong and the persecution and to enquire about how to learn the exercises. At the information stand, people were shocked to see the images of the persecution, and many signed a petition appealing for an end to the persecution.