Journey of Truth: Notes from Greece

We did the standing exercises at the famous Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece.
Two practitioners stood for 1 hour in the blazing sun as thousands of people poured out of the subway and hurried to their jobs. It was surprising how many stopped for fliers and just to watch. Even two policemen stood staring through exercises 2 and 3 and became so peaceful that they could not disturb us. We give out fliers everywhere we walk. We feel so happy to share Falun Gong with everyone. We look like joyful children in our golden t-shirts.

Wearing the Falun Dafa Truth Walk banner, we visited the local television station for Athens. One secretary was very interested and took all the information and contact numbers. We also met a reporter from the largest newspaper in Greece. Along the way we encountered a young man from Hong Kong who wanted to us to tell him more about about Falun Dafa. We arranged to meet him later that evening.

The following day we again demonstrated the exercises in Syntagma Square in central Athens. We put fliers in a pile with a Greek sign to please take one. Once when some fliers blew away, I saw a man straighten them as he took one for himself. Another
time a freelance journalist came by and took a media package and flier. A lady waited until we had finished before asking for a flier in English and asking us about the exercises.

We met a Greek MEP who together with her staff all learned the Falun Gong exercises.
We also delivered a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Office. Next we walked to the Prime Minister's mansion. There were no people walking along the street except us . As we approached the corner we saw about 20 media cameras pointing at us across the driveway leading to the Prime Minister's residence. We joyfully walked towards them handing out fliers. I was wearing the Falun Dafa Truth Walk banner and everyone was attracted to it.

Later we walked back to Syntagma Square, many Chinese people had goods laid
out to sell. We did the exercises near them. The following day we walked to find
the Chinese shops in Athens. It was said the people there were negative on last meeting them. This time they started out that way but soon were happy to talk about the Falun Dafa. They were so touched by westerners caring so much that their hearts were moved. Many were shocked that the Chinese government was really doing such bad things to
Falun Gong. We visited about 20 Chinese shops and spoke to about 100 people. They all said something positive about Falun Gong in the end. In the evening, we returned to the Syntagma Square and talked to more Chinese people. They told us of a practitioner already here in Athens .We will look him up on Monday. We are getting known in the neighbourhood as Falun Gong. Many Chinese people were very frightened at first but we smiled so much and spoke to them until they relaxed and were interested in reading
about Falun Gong. We will take them some stories once they are printed.
One evening we met a Greek lady who was awarded as a poetess. We gave her some information so that she might become inspired to write about Falun Dafa.

The following day we walked to the Acropolis in Athens which is a famous tourist site. On the way we gave a letter to the archbishop of the Greek Orthodox church. We also met a Chinese man who did not speak Chinese. He took us to an elegant Chinese restaurant and later introduced us to his friend who told us about a group who helps arrange press conferences and interviews with journalists for people who have news stories. We will contact them.

The next day, when we were doing our exercises in Syntagma Square, we discovered that somebody had put a huge chunk of bread on our fliers to hold them down so that the wind would not blow them away. It was my dinner that night. Another practitioner said that it reminded her of monks and nuns as they wander around and people give them food. I went to the Canadian embassy for my renewed passport where a guard shook my hand and wished me the best. He said that history shows that peaceful people have always been persecuted by powerful people but the peaceful people win in the end.

Our next appointment was with two assistants for a member of the Greek Parliament. After hearing about the Truth Walk, which proved to them the sincerity and seriousness of the situation in China, they both agreed that Falun Gong was definitely a cause they would present to the MP.

We met a group of Chinese vendors who practised another type of qigong. One lady was very upset about the self-immolations. We gave them fliers that exposed the lies of the Chinese government and revealed the truth of the matter.

From a Canadian in Europe
11-20-2001