European Practitioners Appeal during a European Union Meeting despite Freezing Weather

Between the 21st and 24th of February 2005, a European Union conference was held in Strasbourg, France to discuss the resolution of the International Human Rights Convention, which will be held this month.

European Falun Gong practitioners gathered at the EU Congress Hall to stage an anti-torture exhibition and an exercise demonstration to remind the EU and the world that the Chinese Communist regime have not let up in their campaign of genocide against Falun Gong. The number of kidnappings, illegal arrests and practitioners killed in this persecution has increased more quickly in recent times. The methods of persecution are various, brutal and savage.

More than fifty Falun Gong practitioners took part in this activity, travelling to Strasbourg from France, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark. Although the weather was unusually cold, with wind and snow forcing another protest group to leave the square earlier in the morning, Falun Gong practitioners were not swayed and persisted with their appeal. Practitioners from Paris departed at midnight and arrived at their destination at 8:00AM. Many of them were elderly, but they were very active and did not lag behind the others, raising banners, distributing leaflets and demonstrating the exercises.

Beside the anti-torture exhibition were banners with huge slogans in Chinese, English, French and German, reminding people what is happening in China. The exhibition of photos showed the spread and popularity of Falun Dafa around the world, as well as the persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist regime.

The attention of passers by was attracted by the Falun Gong exercise demonstration; many people in passing vehicles opened their windows and stretched their hands out to take a leaflet. People visiting the EU lingered in front of the anti-torture exhibition and talked with practitioners, before carefully reading the posters about the methods of persecution used.

At the end of the afternoon, a passing group of students eagerly stretched their hands out to take leaflets from the practitioners. The anti-torture exhibition involves practitioners dressing as both Chinese police officers and Mainland Chinese practitioners who are the victims of torture, showing the world the horrific forms of physical persecution that are used in cruel attempts to force Falun Gong practitioners to give up their beliefs, including electric shocking and burning with hot irons. A gentleman came out of the EU Congress Hall, grabbed the hand of a practitioner playing the role of a torture victim and tried to give her money. The practitioner thanked him and told him that she could not take his donation although she accepted his goodwill, saying the only thing that she wanted was that he support Falun Gong and call for justice for the 100 million practitioners who are suffering human rights violations.

Practitioners playing the torture victims were very cold and shivered from head to foot. One lady said that when she remembered that this has been happening to practitioners in Mainland China every day for almost six years, she finds the cold easier to bear and realises the importance of this activity to raise awareness and call for an end to these human rights atrocities.

The persecution of Falun Gong not only continues in China but has also spread, in various forms, around the world. During the period of the Chinese New Year, Falun Gong practitioners all over the globe were harassed by repeated slanderous telephone calls from the Chinese Communist regime. Falun Gong practitioners always oppose the persecution by peaceful and rational means. They hope the EU will stick to their stance on democracy, freedom and human rights and give a correct response toward the persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party.