Germany: Attracting Public Attention with our Anti-torture Exhibition

It was a sunny Saturday spring morning when I arrived at the downtown Kassel Falun Gong information stall. Practitioners had chosen a great location, right in a busy pedestrian zone. The site was visible from many directions. The trams passed our information stall, which allowed many people to see our posters and the colourfully decorated display. They also saw the large black cage with a practitioner suffering inside for many hours. Ten practitioners had joined the activity at the information stall and they took turns distributing information or demonstrating the Falun Gong exercises.

Particular attention was given to the black cage. Next to the cage was a practitioner in Chinese police uniform, impersonating a torturer. He was very convincing in his acting out the Chinese Communist Party’s torture of Falun Gong practitioners in China. The caged practitioner’s make-up showed realistic injuries, not immediately discernible from real injuries. Detailed narration about the torture methods in Chinese slave labour camps and detention centres was given over a loudspeaker. At the same time a number of those torture methods were simulated by practitioners.

The faces of the onlookers, who at times pressed against the cage, mirrored horror, astonishment, and incredulousness that such torture could be happening in this century. Many of them were eager to sign our petition signature campaign list. At times we had small queues at the booth, waiting to sign their names.
The signature campaign was for the rescue of Mr. Jiang Renzheng, who is imprisoned in a slave labour camp, after the German authorities deported to China with his wife and children. Another campaign was to collect petition signatures in support of the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin the former Chinese Premier and initiator of the persecution.

Practitioners also held many interesting discussions during that day, telling the people the truth about the persecution. I have seldom experienced an information day where so many people showed such interest at our stall and were willing to speak up against the persecution. In response to the continued willingness to sign the petitions, we had to make copies of the lists repeatedly.

On one hand, we documented the dark side of the persecution, while on the other hand; we showed the beauty of Falun Gong by distributing lotus flowers and bookmarks without charge. Many, especially children, accepted these little gifts gladly.

Late in the afternoon we experienced smaller crowds. There were fewer people downtown at that time. One practitioner had returned home. We had only one practitioner doing the five exercises next to the booth. Yet, we were able to distribute the remaining leaflets and talk to a number of people. People asked us if we would hold again this anti-torture exhibition in Kassel.

Originally published in German at http://de.clearharmony.net/articles/200505/23719.html