(Minghui.org) To commemorate the 26th anniversary of the peaceful protest by Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) practitioners in Beijing 26 years ago on April 25, practitioners in different parts of Italy held activities to raise awareness of the ongoing persecution of the practice in China.
Milan: Passersby Sign the Petition Calling for an End to Forced Organ Harvesting
Practitioners held activities at the Chinese consulate and in downtown Milan on April 13 and 24 to commemorate the April 25 Appeal.
On Sunday April 13, practitioners held an event in downtown Milan to tell people the facts about the persecution and ask them to sign a petition to stop forced organ harvesting.
They held banners and explained the history of Falun Gong, including how it became popular in China before the persecution.
Many passersby stopped to talk. Some said this was the first time they’d heard of Falun Gong and the persecution in China, while others wanted to know more about the spiritual practice and where they could learn it. Many people signed the petition to call for an end to the atrocities.
Two young women, Alessia and Nicole from Sesto San Giovanni, said they hoped that signing the petition could truly help stop the persecution.
They learned how, 26 years ago, practitioners in China peacefully protested to have their constitutional right to practice Falun Gong be upheld and have continued to appeal peacefully ever since.
Roberta and Stefania from Bari also signed the petition and had their photo taken with practitioners. They expressed their support for practitioners’ efforts and said they hope the persecution ends soon.
Milan: Activities Held Outside the Chinese Consulate to Commemorate the April 25 Peaceful Protest
On Wednesday, April 23, practitioners gathered outside the Chinese consulate holding banners that read: “Stop Forced Organ Harvesting from Falun Gong Practitioners in China,” “Falun Dafa Teaches Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” and “Commemorate the 26th Anniversary of the April 25 Peaceful Appeal.” There were also many banners in Chinese about how Falun Gong was first introduced in China and details about the persecution to help Chinese people learn the truth.
Many people took flyers, and some stopped to ask questions. Several people said they’d spoken to practitioners in the past. A woman said she’d read the brochure and thought it was horrifying to learn what is happening in China.
A young woman who’d received a flier about Falun Gong elsewhere said she’d asked a friend from China about the practice, but the woman was reluctant to talk about it, and she wondered why. A practitioner explained that many Chinese are misled by the CCP’s lies that slander the practice. This is a common tactic used by the regime in past political campaigns. Perhaps her friend believed the propaganda. The woman said she would try to talk to her friend now that she was aware of the facts about the persecution.
Chinese Student: One Can Only Learn the Truth After Leaving China
On April 25, practitioners held activities in the center of Padova to commemorate the April 25 appeal.
A Chinese student who took flyers in English and Chinese told a practitioner his father practices Falun Dafa in China and said the practice is great. When he was in China, the student saw the regime’s propaganda defaming Falun Dafa, and he said one can only learn the truth by leaving the country. He was interested in finding out more about Falun Dafa.
People signed the petition to call for an end to the brutalities after learning about the benefits of the practice.
Sardegna: Informing People About the Persecution
On April 25, practitioners held activities in the centre of Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, to mark the 26th anniversary of the April 25 Appeal.
April 25 happens to be Liberation Day, a public holiday in Italy, so there was a parade in Sardinia. Many tourists noticed practitioners information booth and display. A man from Brazil said he knew China was involved in organ harvesting. A young man from Romania who is studying Buddhism stopped to learn about Falun Gong because he said he heard the beautiful exercise music and was drawn to the practice.
Background: What Is the April 25 Appeal?
Falun Dafa was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries worldwide. Millions of people have embraced the teachings, which are based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and include five gentle exercises, and experienced improved health and well-being.
On April 23 and 24, 1999, police officials in Tianjin, a city near Beijing, assaulted and arrested dozens of practitioners who had gathered outside the office of a college publication to discuss errors in a recently-published article attacking Falun Dafa. As word spread of the arrests and more practitioners inquired with officials, they were told they had to take their appeals to Beijing.
The following day, April 25, some 10,000 Falun Dafa practitioners spontaneously gathered at the Central Appeals office in Beijing, as they had been instructed by Tianjin officials. The gathering was peaceful and orderly. Several Falun Dafa representatives were called in to meet with Chinese premier Zhu Rongji and members of his staff. That evening, the practitioners’ concerns were answered. The arrested practitioners in Tianjin were released, and everyone went home.
Jiang Zemin, former head of the CCP, perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and issued an order to ban Falun Dafa on July 20, 1999.
Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners due to the persecution over the years, although the actual number is suspected to be much higher. More have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.
There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply the organ transplant industry.
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