The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia: Commemorating More than a Thousand Falun Gong Practitioners Who Gave their Lives for Their Righteous Belief

On the 20th July, 2004, at 8:30p.m., Falun Gong practitioners in Philadelphia held a candlelight vigil at the square between the Liberty Bell and the US Constitution Center to commemorate more than 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners who were killed by Jiang's group over the past five years. Practitioners held a candlelight vigil on the lawn in the hopes that kind-hearted people would also light a candle to support the Falun Gong practitioners who have not yet obtained freedom.

With the accompaniment of the Falun Dafa music, "Pu Du" and "Ji Shi," a practitioner read out the names of 1009 Falun Gong practitioners who have died as a result of the persecution.

Many Falun Gong practitioners and their relatives in the greater Philadelphia area have suffered in the persecution. A Falun Gong practitioner called Li Jiangfan's has a brother called Li Baifan who died as a result of the persecution for practicing Falun Gong. Doctor Yang Jingduan's older sister Yang Jingfang and Dr. Qiu Qingqing's younger sister Qiu Yanyan are still being held in forced labor camps. Chen Gang from New Jersey suffered 18-months of agonising torture in a forced labor camp.

Chen Gang said, "On this day, China began a comprehensive suppression of Falun Gong. I was arrested on July 20th in 1999, and then on July 20th of 2000 when I was put in a detention center. On July 20th of 2001 I was still held in the detention center. On July 20th of 2002 I was released, but local police still monitored me very closely. On July 20th of the next year, I finally had an opportunity to come to the US and was freed from that harsh environment of daily persecution."

Mathew Shinkarow, who stood in front of the Liberty Bell, holding a candle, began practicing Falun Gong two and a half years ago. He said, "I came here tonight to support Falun Gong and to help people learn about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. On this day several years ago, more than a thousand Falun Gong practitioners were arrested." He said practicing Falun Gong helped him rid of many bad habits, such as smoking and drinking and so on, and broadened his horizons..

Chen Gang continued, "Just now, hearing them read the names of practitioners who are confirmed to have died as a result of the persecution in China, I was very sad, because I have experienced this persecution, and I know the pain of being tortured, but they have been tortured to death." "I hope all people can work together to stop this persecution. I hope this time next year, the persecution will no longer exist."