The Tiananmen Protest by Western Practitioners Was Also Significant for Swedish People

Gothenburg, Sweden: November 20, 2001 was a day that touched the hearts of many Swedish people. Thirty-six Western Falun Dafa practitioners chose to leave the security of their homes and travelled to Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China to appeal to the Chinese Government to stop persecuting Falun Dafa practitioners and inform the Chinese people that Falun Dafa is good. It was an unselfish and benevolent act.

When news of the protest action reached Sweden, the mass media almost went wild. Our telephones rang almost non-stop as one after another journalists tried desperately to reach us to confirm some facts and interview us. Within minutes the news was on the radio and TV and follow-ups were broadcast regularly throughout the day. The importance of the event was apparent. On the surface it seemed to be just another piece of exciting news but in another way this compassionate act by Western practitioners was very significant for the future of many people. On this single day, millions of Swedish people learned that Falun Gong was good.

It was also an intensive day for many Swedish practitioners. Some of us took time off work to help out in answering questions from journalists, ringing the Foreign Office, getting in touch with family members of those who were arrested, preparing media packages, etc. In the afternoon, practitioners in Gothenburg attempted to deliver a letter of appeal to the Chinese Consulate. Once again the effort was in vain. We were not allowed to go in. In the end the journalists who were with us suggested that we just leave the letter in the post box.

Meanwhile some practitioners set up a few large banners with words that exposed the evil deeds of Jiang Zemin and his accomplices. One of us made a comment that the reluctance shown by the personnel of the Consulate was strange. Using banners is the same communication method used by the Chinese practitioners when they went to Tiananmen Square. The only difference is that we do it in front of the consulate or embassy, while practitioners in China do it in Tiananmen Square. We wondered why they were so afraid to face people who believe in Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance.

Practitioners from Gothenburg, Sweden.