United Kingdom: Cambridge Assembly to Call for an End to the Persecution of Falun Gong

It was a bright sunny day in Cambridge on Sunday, July 27th, 2008. Falun Gong practitioners, who had successfully held activities in London centre the day before, went to Cambridge to join an assembly held in the square of City Hall to protest against the Chinese Communist Party evil persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. The event was also to support the 40 million people who bravely quit the CCP and its related organisations.

People sign a petition condemning the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong

The assembly was co-sponsored by the UK Falun Gong Association and the UK Tuidang Coalition. At the assembly, the European Marching Band was in the centre, and other practitioners stood behind and to the side, holding banners. The banners clearly written in Chinese and English, “The World Needs Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance,” “Falun Gong Benefits Hundred of Millions of People Mentally and physically.”

The Divine Land Marching Band performs in Cambridge

In addition, Falun Gong practitioners erected a booth at the side of the assembly. There was fact material in Chinese and English and a signature petition form on the booth to call for the people to support an end to the persecution.

The assembly obtained the concern and support of the British people in all fields. The European Parliament vice-president, Edward McMillan-Scott, and the chairman of the Conservative Party and the spokesman for the City of Cambridge City, sent letters to the assembly. In Scott’s letter, he reiterated his judgment, “The CCP’s persecution on Falun Gong is genocide in modern time. Those who are responsible for the genocide will be brought to justice and the international community will return justice to the victims”. The representatives of the UK Falun Gong Association, Dr. Liu, Ms. Jiang and Ms. Zhou, Falun Gong practitioners who had been cruelly persecuted by the CCP in China, vice-chairman of the European Friends of Falun Gong, John Dee, a Cambridge citizen, Paul, and Dr. Luo from the Epoch Times made speeches at the assembly. They expressed the same wish: Immediately put a stop to the persecution of Falun Gong.

Marching Band’s attention-grabbing performances

Cambridge’s City Hall square is not big, but the open-air market is very famous. Tourists in Cambridge always go there. And it plays an important role in the life of local people. On this Sunday, Falun Gong practitioners and the Marching Band surprised the local people and the tourists in Cambridge. The music played by the band attracted people’s attention to the facts of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

Around 1:00 p.m., the assembly started with the band’s performance of an original piexe of music entitled “Falun Dafa Is Good.” The orchestra members came from about ten countries in Europe to pass the goodness of Falun Gong to the people. People came to the display booth after hearing the music. Many people signed to support the activity after viewing the display boards or reading a flyer. Each time the marching band played, more people gathered around the assembly.

People from China say goodbye to the fear of the CCP

Many Chinese people visit Cambridge because of Xu Zhimo’s famous poem, “Goodbye Cambridge”. The visitors on this Sunday had not expected to meet with Falun Gong practitioners and the Marching Band there, which meant it’s an opportunity for them to say goodbye to the CCP and to fear.

The Chinese people continued appearing around the assembly in the afternoon, including children who came with a summer camp from mainland China. Many children are deeply poisoned by the slander and defamation made up by the evil CCP. So when Falun Gong practitioners gave them fact material, fear and hatred were immediately shown on their faces. However, when they heard the music played by the Marching Band, and even when they heard the vigorous band members, who wore the blue-white uniform, playing “Falun Dafa Is Good,” they were shocked. They listened carefully or took photos. Two of the Chinese boys asked to take a picture with a band member who told them the facts of Falun Gong. Some children did not want to take the fact material at the beginning, but after watching and listening to the performance of the band, they became relaxed.

The facts awaken people’s righteousness

A western boy didn’t want to leave after signing his name. A reporter went up to him, knowing he came from Morocco. He had been in Cambridge for two weeks. He had never heard of Falun Gong before. The reporter asked him why he signed to support Falun Gong. He shook the fact flyer on his hand, and said, “I don’t understand all this, but I think it is what I should do to support people who are persecuted.”

A middle-aged white man suddenly shouted agitatedly with a painful expression in front of the fact display booth. He shouted while pointing at the picture on which a policeman is going to beat a Falun Gong practitioner with a toothed club. It turned out that he was unable to speak. He was shocked by the fact of persecution and invited his companions to read the boards. His companions came and immediately signed the form. Meanwhile, the man saw the pictures of Falun Gong practitioners’ suffering from cruel torture. He immediately cried out a more painful sound as he himself was hurt. He pointed at the pictures and then pointed at the sky to express his grief and indignation. Meanwhile, a female Falun Gong practitioner gave him a paper lotus. He was then calmed down. He pointed at his heart to the practitioner to express his gratitude and left with his companions.

Another western teenager was going to sign on the form in front of the display booth, while a Chinese girl who probably came with a summer camp from China suddenly came up and told the western boy, “It’s not true.” The boy opened the flyer in his hand and looked seriously at the pictures on which Falun Gong practitioners were persecuted. He said slowly and firmly to the Chinese girl, “I believe it is true.”