United States: Candlelight Vigil in Front of the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles

Falun Gong practitioners in Los Angeles held a rally and a candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate on the evening of July 20th, 2009, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Falun Gong's peaceful resistance and to call for the end to the persecution. Ten years ago, former head of the CCP Jiang Zemin announced his goal to eliminate Falun Gong within three months. He failed, but his efforts escalated to a nationwide brutal persecution.

A representative of the Falun Gong group gives a speech

Candlelight vigil

The host of the rally, Dr. Qu Zheng, said, "More than three thousand Falun Gong practitioners have lost their lives due to the persecution since July 20th, 1999. Hundreds of thousands were thrown into prisons and forced labour camps. They were tortured and forced to do slave labour. Attorney Gao was brutally persecuted for speaking out for Falun Gong practitioners. The CCP mobilised the police system and special agents to carry out the persecution. It coerced governments and companies of other countries to give assistance, using economic and diplomatic measures. The CCP not only persecutes Falun Gong, but also everyone else. Just because Falun Gong practitioners exposed the CCP's lies, the CCP invested the resources of the entire nation to carry out the persecution. However, lies and violence will never win. The peace of the nation and the revival of people's conscience and morality depend on the end of the persecution."

Mr. Wu Fan, who went to show support at the rally, said when the "April 25th " Appeal happened, he didn't know Falun Gong well, but he firmly supported it based on humanitarianism. Some people in Los Angeles started to ridicule Falun Gong. But after ten years, this seemingly weak group is still going strong. It is the CCP that has almost collapsed. Mr. Wu said the reason why Falun Gong is so indestructible is because of their principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and their strong faith.

Mr. Chen Shizhong, Chair of the Conscience Foundation, said at the rally, "Nobody is able to find a single case of Falun Gong harming the society. All the misunderstanding and hatred towards Falun Gong was incited by the CCP's lies, which have led to the brutal persecution of hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners. Investigations by attorney Gao, Professor Jiao, the UN Special Rapporteur, and Falun Gong practitioners themselves have exposed the illegal detentions, torture, and organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners."

Dr. Dana Churchill from Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, Helen Li of the Service Centre to Quit the CCP in LA, and a representative of the Falun Gong group also spoke at the rally. As it grew dark outside, rally attendants lit candles and solemnly mourned the Falun Gong practitioners who lost their lives in the persecution.