United Kingdom: Promoting Falun Gong and Exposing the Persecution in Leeds and Middlesborough

On November the 27th and 28th, a group of British Falun Gong practitioners held an anti-torture exhibition and activities to promote Falun Gong in Leeds and then Middlesborough. Leeds and Middlesborough were the final stops of the anti-torture exhibition tour by practitioners from North Britain. Previously, the tour visited Newcastle, Sunderland, York and Huddersfield.

Raising awareness of the persecution in Middlesborough	Activity in Leeds

On the morning of November the 27th, practitioners gathered at Dortmund Square in Leeds. Display boards and banners were set up and the practitioners talked to passersby about Falun Gong and the persecution happening in China. The streets were crowded with people doing their Christmas shopping. After having read the Falun Dafa leaflets, many people came to sign the petition calling for an end to these human rights atrocities. Many people were shocked to discover that such a brutal persecution is happening in China. After being informed of the facts of the persecution, a couple of Chinese students were dumbfounded by China’s strict information blockage on the state-controlled media and said, “We conscientiously oppose the torture.”

At the other end of the display boards were practitioners demonstrating the five sets of Falun Gong exercises. Drawn by the elegant movements and harmonious music, numerous visitors stopped to watch the exercise demonstration and asked how to learn the exercises. They were pleased to find out that Falun Gong is always taught for free and they can learn at their local practice site.

On November the 28th, practitioners arrived at Gilks Street in Middlesborough to go on with their activity. When they were setting up the display boards, two policemen on duty happened to pass by and stopped to watch. The practitioners talked to them about Falun Gong and then told them the stories behind the photos on the display boards. When looking at the photo of Gao Rongrong, who was disfigured by electric batons, the two policemen were shocked. They signed the petition in the hope of bringing an immediate end to the persecution.

During the one-day activities it rained from time to time. In the cold rain the practitioners still determinedly handed out the leaflets and demonstrated the exercises. When the activities were coming to an end, many of those who had accepted leaflets came back to our display stand to sign the petition. Among them were the two policemen who had signed their names in the morning. The two policemen helped to explain the photos to passersby and recommended them to sign the petition.