Portugal: European Practitioners Appeal to Stop the CCP's Persecution of Falun Gong

On the 9th and 10th of December, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Portugal. During this time, Falun Gong practitioners from Portugal, Spain, and other European countries gathered in Lisbon and held a series of activities, demanding that Wen Jiabao and the Chinese government stop the persecution of Falun Gong and unconditionally release all imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners.

At midday on the 9th, Falun Gong practitioners held an activity to collect petition signatures on Rossio Square, the busiest and most crowded area in Lisbon. A large number of Portuguese people were anxious to find out about what’s happening in China. Practitioners continuously explained to them that Falun Gong is a cultivation practice for improving mind and body while exposing the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong. People stood around the photos of torture and silently learnt about the unimaginable torments suffered by Falun Gong practitioners in Mainland China. They were deeply moved, and signed the petition one by one to show their sympathy and support for Falun Gong.

In the early morning of the 10th, Falun Gong practitioners gathered outside Hotel Ritz where Wen Jiabao was staying. Practitioners unfurled banners reading “Falun Gong is Great”, “Bring Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Liu Jing and Zhou Yongkang to Justice” and so on. Sincere and kind-hearted Portuguese people, after seeing the banners, came one after another to ask about what the Chinese banners said, what Falun Gong is and why the CCP wants to persecute it. Practitioners answered these questions one by one and gave them leaflets. People who had understood the truth kept on giving practitioners the thumbs-up or sounding horns to express their support. Patrolling police who had understood the truth smiled and waved. They were very willing to receive the leaflets.

A middle-aged Portuguese person asked a practitioner, why the CCP persecutes Falun Gong. The practitioner replied: the CCP does not allow freedom of belief or any ideas other than their own. It does not allow people to be good by following Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance and good people are being beaten and put into prison. Over the six years of the persecution, there have been 2791 practitioners who were persecuted to death. Today the Chinese premier comes here, and we Falun Gong practitioners request him to stop the persecution and punish the criminals. Upon hearing this, he took a leaflet at once and said, “You’re doing very well, you are remarkable.” He bowed, and pressed his hands together to the practitioner to express his esteem.

Chinese people support Falun Gong

The local Chinese people also stopped to find out more. A young man drove his car nearby just to see the banners. When the car stopped, he kept on saying “Falun Gong is great.”, “Bring Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Liu Jing, Zhou Yongkang to justice” and so on. He gave practitioners the thumbs-up and said, “Well done, I support you.” Then he drove off. Later a car full of Chinese people passed by and stopped in front of the banners. After reading the banners they smiled and waved to practitioners, and then left. On the road opposite, there was a group of Chinese officials who couldn’t take their eyes off the banners. After reading them, they laughed heartily and some were even discussing them.

Embarrassed Chinese officials

After seeing the Chinese banners across the road, an elderly Portuguese man desperately wanted to know what they meant. Two Chinese officials also happened to be reading the banners. The elderly man politely greeted them in English, and they replied in the same manner. The elderly man asked: could you help me please? The officials nodded. The old man pointed at the banners and said, could you please tell me what the banners say? The officials instantly showed embarrassment, with their heads hung low. They did not reply and hurriedly left. The man was quite puzzled. A practitioner came to him, and asked him with a smile: “This is a Falun Gong flyer; would you like to read it?” The man was delighted to receive the material, and retold the story of how he wanted to find out the meaning of the banners. The practitioner fulfilled his wish on the spot. He was very grateful and left satisfied.

When the practitioners holding banners saw crowds of Chinese officials carefully reading the banners, practitioners passionately shouted: “Falun Gong is great. Fellow Chinese people, greetings. Falun Gong is great!” Upon seeing the friendliness of the practitioners, these officials were a bit troubled. They could not reply and could only lower their heads and walk away in a hurry.

On the 10th practitioners gathered outside Hotel Ritz where Wen Jiabao was staying. Practitioners unfurled banners, told people about the persecution of Falun Gong and demanded to bring to justice the prime criminals and other high-ranking officials involved in the persecution. Practitioners used loudspeakers and were incessantly shouting “Falun Gong is good. Stop persecuting Falun Gong. Bring Jiang Zemin to justice.” This act attracted the interest and attention of reporters who were attending the press conference inside the hotel. Reporters from radio stations, television stations, magazine agencies and newspaper agencies all came to interview practitioners. Some recorded, some filmed, some took pictures. When they heard practitioners playing the music “Pudu”, they interviewed the practitioners. After inquiring about the music’s background, the instantly made a copy of it.

TSF, a famous local radio station, during their half-hour brief news, repeatedly broadcasted its report on the same afternoon about the trade between China and Portugal and also about Falun Gong practitioners’ activities to bring Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Liu Jing and Zhou Yongkang to justice. Radio Renascence broadcasted an interview with a practitioner in detail. What is Falun Gong? Why is it being persecuted by the CCP? While welcoming Wen Jiabao here, Falun Gong practitioners are also requesting him to stop the persecution of Falun Gong and punish the murderers and other high-ranking officials involved in the suppression. One of Portugal’s major TV stations - SIC TV, broadcasted an interview with a Falun Gong practitioner during its news at 8pm on the 9th. The report says: “Falun Gong practitioners’ intentions are quite clear. One is to welcome Wen Jiabao to Portugal, and the other is to stop the persecution of Falun Gong. Over the last six years of suppression there have already been more than two thousand practitioners who have died as a result of torture.” Through these reports, the people of Portugal were able to find out about the truth of Falun Gong.

Wen Jiabao’s return journey

At 3pm on the 10th, Wen Jiabao departed from the hotel and started on his journey back to China. A motorcade was closely following behind Wen Jiabao’s car and the Chinese officials opened all their car windows. At this point practitioners were holding banners outside: “Falun Gong is good. Bring Jiang Zemin to justice! Stop persecuting Falun Gong!” and so on. The words on the banners clearly came into their view and the calls for justice filled their ears. Some of them were smiling, some waving and some were even giving the thumbs-up.

Watching the banners, listening to the practitioners’ calls to stop the persecution and bring the prime criminals to justice, Wen Jiabao left the hotel and embarked on his return journey.