Stories From Opposite the Chinese Embassy in London, UK.

Since October 2000, Dafa practitioners have been practising exercises and clarifying the truth to the public in the morning of every working day and every Thursday evening opposite the Chinese Embassy in London. Since summer 2001, an additional afternoon session of a few hours has been running on every single day (including weekends) at the same site. Whether or not it is raining, windy, baking hot or freezing cold we have been carrying on the activities. What we have done has shown the public the peace and auspiciousness of Dafa and has touched many passers-by. In order to raise more public concern and support Dafa practitioners in China and Dafa practitioners who Fa Zheng Nian [Ed Note: Fa Zheng Nian is a Pinyin romanisation which cannot be accurately translated to encompass its’ true meaning. In entails recite a verse once and maintaining a tranquil mind] in Germany, some of us who could not go to Germany started a Relay Hunger Strike from 3 April 2002. The Hunger Strike will finish on 25 April.

Here are some stories that have happened at the site.

"Give me more leaflets. I will give them away to people around me and let them know this."

About lunchtime on a day during the Relay Hunger Strike, a coloured lady came to the site. I started a conversation with her. Pointing to one of the young practitioners she said, "I came out of the park (there is a large park near the Embassy) and saw this boy walking along the street. He was wearing a yellow jumper with words explaining what is Falun Gong. I think this is good so I followed him. It was his jumper that brought me here. "We talked about the current Falun Gong situation in and outside China. I also answered some questions from her. She then signed a petition to appeal for an end to the persecution. Before she left she said to me, "Give me more leaflets. I will give them away to people around me and let them know this."

Police in front of the Chinese Embassy: “We are all sympathetic to you […]

The police officers in front of the Chinese Embassy often cross the road to our site to talk to us (according to those who grant permission, we are only allowed to run activities on the street outside the Embassy). One day, a policeman came towards us. I said Hello to him before asking him whether he had read our materials. He said, "I have read a few different versions of your leaflets. Some of my colleagues brought them back to the office and left them in the staff room. Other people picked them up and read them. Although we are police guarding the Embassy we are all sympathetic to you rather than them! Good luck to you!"

The Royal Institute of British Architecture.

The Royal Institute of British Architecture is located opposite the Chinese Embassy in London. When we hold our activities, we are in front of their gate. Staff at the Institute have been very friendly and supportive. In order to let us to store our display boards, banners and other materials, they have made some space for us in their small storage room. In the winter when it was really cold, they sometimes offered us some hot tea with biscuits. The most touching story is that one afternoon last summer, there was only one female practitioner on site when it rained very heavily all of a sudden. Before she was able to cover all materials with a sheet, two female members of staff from the Institute rushed out of the building and moved everything indoors. When the practitioner tried to find them to say thank you, they had disappeared. She asked people in the reception area who they were and was told that no one noticed them. In the end we wrote an open thank you letter and posted it in the building. Hereby, we would like to thank, from bottom of our hearts, all the help and support that have been given by the staff at the Royal Institute of British Architecture.

Young Chinese Passer-by: "Miss, carry on!"

This morning (17 April 2002), when I meditated, a gentle voice came to me: "Miss, do you understand Chinese Mandarin?" I opened my eyes; it was a student-like young Chinese man. He said to me, "I just want to tell you: Miss, carry on! It is not very easy for you." I replied, "It is easy for us because we can practise freely here. It is really hard for practitioners in China." He then said, "Such a persecution is too cruel." Before he left the site, he took some materials and the details of our classes in Central London.

"Let's all blow our horns to support Falun Gong!"

One day, just after we finished our exercises, a car stopped in front of us. The driver inside blew his horn continuously. I was puzzled and walked to the car. The driver opened the window and said to us, "I support you! You should make a display board with the words -All blow your horns to support Falun Gong!" He then told us that he lives nearby and drives passed us every day. He also asked if we need a place to store our materials. We thanked him and told him that the Royal Institute of British Architecture has offered us a place.

Another morning, a middle-aged Western man had a conversation with me when he passed us. Then he took some fruits and snacks out of his bag to put them in my hands. I thanked him and asked him to have them himself but he insisted. He said, "You must come out of you home very early and not have had your breakfast yet. You need these." He was so warm-hearted that I could not reject his offer but could only thank him. There have been a few mornings that people left some flowers and food for us without leaving their names.

UK Dafa practitioner