United States: Practitioners in Houston Commemorate the Anniversary of the April 25 Peaceful Appeal at Zhongnanhai

On April 25, 1999, more than 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners peacefully appealed to the State Appeals Bureau in Beijing for the release of practitioners who had been unjustly arrested in Tianjin, a free environment in which to practise their beliefs, and an end to the ban on publication of Falun Gong books. The "4.25" appeal demonstrated practitioners' spirit of great compassion and forbearance and the courage to risk their lives for freedom of belief. The appeal stunned the world and was widely commended for it's peaceful and orderly nature.

Peaceful Appeal and Candlelight Vigil

It has now been 6 years since the "4.25" appeal. From 6 to 9 pm on April 19, Houston practitioners appealed in front of the Chinese Consulate in Houston to commemorate this special date. Practitioners displayed commemoration wreaths, photos exposing the persecution and banners. As it was getting dark, practitioners lit candles and quietly practised the Falun Gong exercises.

"I Want to Stay Here with You"

As soon as practitioners set up the photo display and wreaths, passersby were attracted to the site. A middle-aged gentleman came and viewed the photos quietly. A practitioner approached him to give him a leaflet. He then asked why practitioners showed these torture photos, where these tortures were taking place, and what was Falun Gong all about. The practitioner answered his questions one by one. After hearing all the answers, he said: "I want to learn more about Falun Gong. Where can I learn the exercises?"

Another three young men came to the site later. They took many photos of the posters showing practitioners who had been persecuted to death. They also read carefully the description of these practitioners' stories. A practitioner told them: "Falun Gong, with its profound principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, has guided more than 100 million people in cultivation practise. The '4.25' appeal was to stand up for freedom of belief ..." After hearing the introduction, they sat among practitioners. One of these three men said to a practitioner with smile: "I want to stay here with you!"

In the past 5 years, the Jiang regime and the Chinese Communist Party have colluded in the brutal persecution against Falun Gong. Despite the overwhelming lies and the most brutal means of persecution in the history of mankind, including physical and mental torture, murder, and brainwashing, they couldn't eliminate Falun Gong. In contrast, facing the brutal persecution, practitioners have been steadfast in their belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and have been consistently conducting peaceful appeals and clarifying the truth about Falun Gong and the persecution to the public. Consequently, more and more people who were deceived by the Jiang regime have awakened to the truth and are now heading to a bright future.