United States: Grand Parade Calls for An End to Persecution held in San Francisco

On November 3rd, more than 500 practitioners from all over the world joined a grand parade in San Francisco to showcase the glory of Falun Dafa, expose the 8-year brutal persecution of Falun Gong, and call for join international efforts to end the persecution.

Taiwan practitioners in traditional costume marched in the parade

Commemorating fellow practitioners who died during the persecution

Supporting the 28 million withdrawals from the CCP

Call for action to disintegrate the CCP and end the persecution

Reading a truth-clarifying posters

Director of Tuidang (Quitting the CCP) Service Center

The parade started at the Union Square, marched through downtown shopping centres, circled around the Chinatown, and ended at the Garden Corner Square. Hong Zhang, one of the organisers of the parade, said that the event began with a large-scale group practice at the Union Square. "The practice scene was very peaceful. There were people who mimicked the movements, and many passersby were touched by the site and wanted to learn more about Falun Gong." Zhang introduced.

Zhang said: "The parade consists of several large groups. The first one is the Celestial Marching Band. Members of the band come from all circles and they are all Falun Gong practitioners. They practise instruments using their spare time and their sole goal is to share good music with the public. The second group includes a Falun Gong exercise demonstration team, a decorated float, and a Celestial Maiden troupe. The group was led by several practitioners who were hoisting a giant model of Zhuan Falun book [the core book of Falun Dafa]. Zhuan Falun has been translated into more than 20 languages. Falun Gong is now practised in more than 80 countries."

"The last one is a special group which re-enacts the torture methods and organ harvesting atrocities of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). We do this to raise awareness of the brutal persecution of Falun Gong which has lasted more than 8 years. Since the persecution started in July 1999, it has been verified that more than 3000 practitioners have died during the persecution. In March 2006, witnesses stepped up and testified that the CCP was harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. As stated by David Kilgour, former Canadian MP and a leading investigator of the organ harvesting atrocities, the killing has to stop. We hope that all kindhearted people will take joint efforts to end the persecution."

Mr. Zhuang is the owner of a Taiwan construction firm. He said that he joined several dozen Taiwan practitioners to participate in this parade, wearing costumes of Taiwanese native groups. Zhuang said: "Falun Gong transcends races and is very popular in Taiwan. Six years ago, one friend of mine introduced Falun Gong to me. Since I then, I feel very energetic and calm and I am more willing to help others."

Practitioner Yunfeng came to US last year from Hunan province. He said that he had chronic pain in his lower left body. "That pain quickly disappeared after I started to practise Falun Gong, and I made continuous improvement mentally. When the persecution started in July 1999, I went to Beijing to appeal for Dafa and ended up in a detention centre where I was brutally tortured. Cells in the detention centre were packed with detainees, and each person had a space of about 30 cm wide to sleep and it was about 1 meter from the toilet. During that cold winter, I was repeatedly forced to stand outside for long times as punishment. My right foot still feels numb even as of today."

After the parade, the practitioners rallied at the Golden Corner Square in Chinatown to support the 28 million Chinese people who have openly withdrawn form the CCP and its affiliated organisations.

Mr Qu Zheng, a columnist of the Epoch Times, said that Chinese people should have courage. He said: "Chinese people used to say 'one would rather die with dignity than to live in humiliation. This is the great courage of Chinese people. However, the CCP has broken the backbones of many Chinese people with its reign of terror. The 28 million withdrawal from the CCP serves as a reminder to every Chinese: How we should live? The CCP has committed unpardonable crimes again Chinese people and humanity. To restore normal social order to China, the persecution of Falun Gong must be ended."

Helen is a volunteer of the Tuidang (Quitting from the CCP) Service Center South California Branch. She said: "Every Chinese people who truly loves China should spread the open letter of Mr. Wang Zhaozhun [standing member of Anhui Provincial Committee of Political Counselors, Wang recently wrote an open letter to the CCP leaders urging them to end the persecution of Falun Gong immediately]. The most urgent and important issue in China is to end the persecution of Falun Gong. The wheel of history can not be stopped and the CCP knows that its days are numbered."

Dr. David Gao is the director of the Global Tuidang Service Center. He said: "Quitting from the CCP and its affiliated organisations is the right thing to do for all Chinese. We have established many Tuidang Service Centers around the world. Among the people who have quitted the CCP, there are many party and military officials, college students, and intellectuals. The CCP has tried its best to destroy the divine culture of China. Currently, China is sitting on a boiling pot as natural and human-made disasters come one after another. Disintegrating the CCP is the only hope for China. The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party initiated a spiritual movement, Tuidang. Only with the rediscover of conscience and morality can China has a future."

"The CCP's fate is doomed. Nobody can stop the wheel of history. Anyone who continues to line up with the CCP and to persecute Chinese people will commit crimes against all Chinese and will be punished. On the other hand, anyone who brave to say no to the CCP's atrocities will be recognised and appreciated by the history. I hope that more people will step forward to undertake the historic mission to help steer China to the right direction." Dr. Gao concluded.