In the afternoon on November 8, 2001, Falun Dafa practitioners from New York and four female practitioners from Canada held the first press conference in front of the Bronx Superior Court, New York. The female practitioners had participated in walking from Ottawa to the UN for the SOS Global RescueWalk. The Bronx Borough President, Fernando Ferrer wrote to us to praise the SOS Global RescueWalk. Representatives of the Falun Dafa Information Center, the four female practitioners, and practitioners who had experienced the persecution in China first-hand gave speeches at the press conference and condemned the atrocities of Jiang Zemin's Government in its suppression of Falun Gong. They appealed to all circles to urgently rescue the Falun Gong practitioners being tortured in China.
Reporters from the Bronx Times (Newspaper) and TV Channel 12, a local station, conducted in-depth interviews with the walkers. The four young female practitioners from Montreal, Canada have walked for 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) over the course of two months. Their perseverance and the hardships they have suffered could be read from their dark tanned faces. They and New York practitioners will hold press conferences in other areas of New York over the next few days and deliver the signatures supporting Falun Gong to the United Nations. The signatures were collected on the way as they walked.
On their journey, the four female practitioners held SOS posters, distributed flyers, collected signatures, visited government officials, and called for the urgent rescue of Falun Gong practitioners in China. They also spoke out the truth of Falun Gong to Chinese restaurants one by one. The representative of the Falun Dafa Information Center welcomed the practitioners, "These SOS walkers walked for 60 days in spite of wind, rain, and cold or hot weather for only one mission: to speak on behalf of the victims, testify for them, and support those practitioners who are not afraid of losing their lives in danger." Zhu Ying, the representative of the walkers, said, "The walk was a big challenge for us. Every step was a test. Each of us has a happy family, warmhearted husband, and children who need to be taken care of. It is the principle of 'Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance' that gave us courage to experience untold hardships and speak out the truth of Falun Gong to the world."
Amy Lee, a practitioner who had been persecuted in China said, "I am a mother and a wife. I used to have a happy family and was a successful designer. However, I have lost all of these because Jiang Zemin's government brutally persecutes Falun Gong. I wish to unite with my family. But that cannot be realized as long as Jiang Zemin's government persecutes Falun Gong. I appeal to all governments and kind-hearted people in the world to support us and help to stop the persecution of Falun Gong in China." The Bronx Borough President wrote in his letter, "Though I cannot attend your conference, I support those people striving for world peace and harmony... I congratulate the Falun Gong practitioners and their supporters to make the historical event (SOS Global RescueWalk). Their sacrifice symbolizes their pledge to construct a better world for mankind."
After the conference, the practitioners demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises. Many passers-by and people going to or from the courthouse asked for information and expressed their understanding and support.
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Category: April 25 Events
