Calling for an End to the Persecution - Successful Activities in Vienna

On the morning of Saturday the 19th of June 2004, the plight of Falun Gong practitioners in China was made known to many thousands of people in the historic city of Vienna. Tourists and local citizens alike came to understand more about this traditional cultivation system, as hundreds of practitioners from Europe and the Asia-Pacific region gathered in the city to hold a series of activities.

The participants’ varied nationalities reflected how Falun Gong has grown enormously since its introduction, finding its way to the hearts and minds of countless people. Sadly, it was exactly the popularity and rapid growth of Falun Gong in China which became the reason that the then-president Jiang Zemin launched his campaign of persecution, driven by jealousy, fear and political ambition.

The main activities were held in Stephansplatz, a beautiful square in the heart of Vienna, dominated by the St. Stephens’ cathedral, from which it gets its name. On Saturday morning, the usual multitude of passing tourists and local people were greeted not just with the elegance and beauty of the buildings, but also with the elegance and beauty of the slow-moving exercises of Falun Gong. As the hands of over 150 practitioners moved synchronously in the slow-motion pattern of the meditative exercises, many people stopped to watch, or to take a look at the nearby poster exhibition. The exhibition examined the history of the practice, the exercises, the popularity of Falun Gong in China, and the spread of Falun Gong around the world.

Many people accepted flyers and materials from practitioners, some sitting down to read them and watch the exercises as they stopped for a bite to eat at the street cafés.

As practitioners demonstrated the exercise movements, the principles behind the practice were explained in detail over a public address system. The announcer also explained how Jiang had launched his campaign of state terrorism against the practice, and the resulting misery for the tens of thousands enduring unimaginable torture in Chinese labour camps.

The atmosphere of the event was peaceful and open; many people stopped and took the time to talk seriously with practitioners about the practice of Falun Gong and the persecution in China. The tourists came from many different countries around the world, and so did the practitioners, but somehow it was always possible to find a common language to communicate in. When they understood about what was happening, people were both shocked and supportive.