Canada: Practitioners Hold Peaceful Appeal during Meeting of Mayors of Montréal and Shanghai

On April 6, 2005, a Shanghai delegation headed by Mayor Han Zheng arrived in Montreal, Canada. Falun Gong Practitioners held a peaceful appeal in front of City Hall and called on people from all circles to help stop the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

Several days ago, practitioners wrote to the Montreal City Government to call attention to the persecution of Falun Gong in China and to ask for their help in stopping the persecution. From 5 pm to 9 pm on April 6, 2005, practitioners practised the exercises and distributed leaflets in front of City Hall, in the cold weather. They held banners with the messages, "Please help stop the persecution of Falun Gong," and "Help release all jailed Falun Gong practitioners." Many of those attending a dinner reception for the Chinese delegation accepted the truth-clarification materials.

City government staff at the dinner watched the Falun Gong practitioners continuously. A practitioner came forward to talk to them. One gentleman said, "I have seen many of your Falun Gong activities and know you are peaceful. You have done a great job. It's your right to be here."

One woman watched the practitioners practising the exercises and was very interested. She asked a practitioner, "Is this a religion? A philosophy? Can I practise?" She was happy after the practitioner told her that anyone could practise and gave her the contact information for a local practise site. Then she asked about the cost of learning Falun Gong. Upon hearing that the teaching is free, she was surprised.

A middle-aged Western gentleman passed by the city hall and stopped to watch practitioners practising the exercises. He said that he knew about Falun Gong because he had worked in China. He said that foreign businessmen and corporations in China had to sign a guarantee that none of their employees practise Falun Gong, or otherwise their business activity would be terminated. He also said, "To exist in China, one must do what the Communist Party wants him to do. Chinese employees do not have their own minds. They do what the supervisors ask them to do. When a foreign supervisor tells them to work based on their own thinking, they are surprised and fearful, as they are used to listening to orders from supervisors." Finally, the gentleman said, "I know Falun Gong is good. Please trust my words: the persecution will not last long."

Near the end of the dinner, a gentleman working for the University of Montreal came to pick up his friend. He asked a practitioner, "I have seen Falun Gong practitioners in many places. They are very peaceful and the practise is graceful. Why it is persecuted in China?" The practitioner told him, "The Chinese Communist regime is totalitarian and controls everything. People have no freedom there. Falun Gong practitioners follow Truth, Compassion and Forbearance; however, the Chinese Communist Party prefers violence and lies." The practitioner also gave some examples. The gentleman said, "The Party is too corrupt."

The practitioners did not leave until the Chinese delegation left. Over the past five years of the persecution, practitioners around the world have worked tirelessly to help more people know the truth.