Finland: Raising Awareness about Falun Gong in Helsinki

On Sunday, June 1st, 2008, people in Helsinki ushered in the 12th Métis River Festival on the banks of the Métis. Falun Gong practitioners set up a booth, hung up a banner worded with “Falun Gong is good” and displayed exhibition boards introducing Falun Gong and distributed beautiful folded paper lotus flowers as a special holiday gift to the Finnish people.

It was a sunny day and most people were in summer attire. Many people were fishing on both banks of the Métis River, enjoying the gifts of nature. Many more people were either sitting there watching the performances in front of the stage or enjoying snacks and buying crafts. Children were playing and laughing merrily at all venues.

Two boys aged about 15 or 16 were first interested in lotus flowers made with paper and then read the exhibition boards. After hearing the truth by a practitioner, they seriously signed the petition against the persecution.

Many people went forward to the Falun Gong booth. Some were reading the exhibition boards, some were appreciating the ease of the exercises demonstrated by the practitioners and some others were starting to learn them. Attracted by the lotus flowers, more people were led to the Falun Gong booth. While distributing leaflets and presenting lotus flowers to them, Falun Gong practitioners were explaining to people what Falun Gong is, how Falun Gong is widely spread in the world, the truth about nine-year persecution by the evil CCP and calling on them to sign the petition in order to end the persecution.