Falun Dafa event after the parade in Helsinki, Finland

On Saturday afternoon, after the parade of Falun Gong practitioners had walked through the main areas in the city centre, they reached their destination: the Helsinki central church square. An event was to be held there to further tell the Finnish people about the benefits of practising Falun Gong, and to appeal to their kind hearts for help to stop the severe persecution in China.

A Finnish practitioner first held an opening speech, introducing the essence of the wonderful practice of Falun Gong to the spectators, and explained the reasons behind the persecution that has been happening in China since July 1999. This Falun Dafa weekend in Helsinki was a celebration of the ten-year anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction to the world on Monday, May 13th. Some people were very shocked to hear that one of the main reasons the practitioners were there that day, was to bring to the awareness of the Finnish people and the whole world the severe persecution and its consequences in China. The Finnish practitioners then appealed, on behalf of all the Falun Gong practitioners in the world, to the goodness in Finnish people’s hearts to help finish this persecution and make the world a better place.

After the opening speech, another Finnish practitioner spoke about the benefits that practising Falun Gong has given her. It was a touching personal experience, and validated the great benefits that practising Falun Gong can bring to one’s health. This practitioner had been on sick leave from her work as a nurse for almost one year, but after she started practising regained her ability to work, and hasn’t been sick once in the four years since.

Then a third speaker, also a Finnish practitioner, contrasted the two sides of the journey of Falun Dafa in the world: the essence of Falun Dafa - the principles of Truthfulness, Benevolence and Forbearance - and the other side, the evil persecution that begun in China in July 1999. She exposed the cruelty that is happening there by presenting some individual cases of the persecution.

As it was a beautiful day, there were Finnish people and tourists at the square and by the church listening to the speeches, and a photographer from the Finnish news agency was also present to cover the event. After the event had taken place, the practitioners continued to the park downtown for displaying the Falun Dafa exercises to the public.