France: Falun Gong Practitioners Commemorate April 25th at the Chinese Embassy

Falun Gong practitioners in France gathered in front of the Chinese Embassy to commemorate the "April 25" appeal on the afternoon of April 22nd 2005.

Six years ago, ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners in China, where Falun Gong originated, went to the State Appeals Office near Zhongnanhai in Beijing to peacefully appeal for their right to practise Falun Gong as granted by law. Their appeal caught the attention of the entire world. The practitioners' manner, unselfishness and courage to face power for the sake of truth showed the world the spirit of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance," the principles of Falun Dafa, and marked a new era of safeguarding justice and conscience in history.

Eye-catching banners and display boards in front of the Chinese Embassy

Falun Gong practitioners demonstrate the exercises and talk to people about Falun Gong in front of the Chinese Embassy

Ms. Li, who was a witness to the direct cause of the appeal, told a reporter, "In April, 1999, I read a slanderous article by He Zuoxiu in the magazine, Science and Technology Knowledge for Youth, published by Tianjin Normal University, that spread rumours of Falun Gong causing mental problems and suggested it would cost the Party and the Nation. My fellow practitioners and I went to the magazine's office and attended a meeting between practitioners and the editor. Among the practitioners were the elderly, the young, the middle-aged, workers, teachers, etc. Many of us told our personal stories of how we had benefited from practising Falun Gong. The editor was deeply moved and promised to report to the president and give us an answer as soon as possible. We quietly waited in the institute. However, they changed their attitude drastically and refused to admit that anything was wrong with the report. On the evening of April 23rd, armed policemen from the Tianjin Police Department beat and arrested Falun Gong practitioners. I was among those who was driven out of the institute. We walked to the City Government, but the office building was heavily guarded by police. We were told that it would be impossible to release the arrested practitioners without permission from Beijing. That was why practitioners went to appeal in Beijing. However, the Tianjin Police lied on TV, saying that no practitioner had been beaten or arrested."

What the Falun Gong practitioners requested was completely legal and they did it in an upright way. However, former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, driven by his personal will and jealousy, and the Communist Party couldn't tolerate the pursuit of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" on the part of the Chinese people. They launched the brutal persecution of Falun Gong on July 20th 1999. So many people have died and so many have been forced to leave their homes during this persecution. However, practitioners have stood firm on their faith. Now, more and more people have learned the true story of Falun Gong. The peacefulness and rationality of the April 25th appeal have been continued until today.

Falun Gong practitioners in France quietly demonstrated the exercises and sent forth righteous thoughts during their appeal in front of the Chinese Embassy. Some distributed flyers and told passersby about the April 25th appeal. The banners and display boards caught people's attention. A manager of a famous French airline told Falun Gong practitioners that his company conducted business with China. He has a good relationship with the Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister. He said he would try his best to help Falun Gong practitioners and left his business card. Many sympathised with the practitioners and told them to hold on. Some became interested in Falun Gong and asked for information about where to find Falun Gong books and local exercise sites.