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The Truth About Falun Gong Wins New Yorkers' Hearts (Photos)

Sept. 1, 2004

(Clearwisdom.net) Clearwisdom reporter Wang Ying reports: On August 27, 2004, the reporter once again boarded a flight to New York after being away from the City for 13 years. The trip left a deep impression.

New York deserves to be called the center for finance. While on the plane, a middle-aged man sitting beside the reporter began reading the Wall Street Journal as soon as he boarded the plane. I saw the news about the Olympic Games in the newspaper, and began talking to the man. I learned that the man lives in New York, and works at a financial company of the GE. When he learned that the Jiang's regime has been using foreign investment to persecute Falun Gong and has caused more than 1,000 deaths as a result of the persecution, he expressed that it's hard to comprehend such things still happen in today's China. He hoped our activities in New York would be successful.

On Saturday, I went to Manhattan. Between Lexington Avenue and 59th Street there was an anti-torture exhibit. The exhibit was located at the entrance to the subway so streams of people passed by. I saw many practitioners explaining the facts about Falun Gong to passersby. The practitioners expressed that it was not enough to only hand out materials, they felt they should explain to the passersby as well.

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Falun Gong practitioners explain the facts on the street in New York

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New York people surround practitioners to listen to their explanation of facts about Falun Gong

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People shocked at the torture exhibit

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Clarifying the truth

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People are reading truth clarification materials

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People have a photo taken with practitioners

I noticed that some passersby accepted materials from practitioners and walked forward for a while, and then returned to ask the practitioners what Falun Gong is.

A man heard practitioners' explanation about the torture and expressed that "It is too brutal. I hope you will continue your efforts." He shook hands with practitioners.

New Yorkers Who Have Learned the Truth about Falun Gong

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Reenacting torture method, Tiger Bench

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90 % of the people are willing to sign the petition to support

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Passersby are learning the truth

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Signing names for the whole family

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Passersby are learning the exercises

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Passersby are learning the movements of the exercise

Beside the torture exhibit between Lexington Avenue and 59th Street, a woman listened carefully to practitioners' explanation of Falun Gong's persecution launched by Jiang's regime, and then asked practitioners if she could take photos of the torture exhibit, she said she would save them on her computer. She also signed the petition.

Some people walked directly to the petition letter, signed their names and left. When practitioners asked them why, they answered that they have learned about the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

A young woman signed her own name on the yellow cloth, and then signed a few more names. When being asked why, she said, "I not only sign my own name, I also want to sign all names in my family, because I don't want such persecution happen on them."

New York Residents Hope More People Learn the Facts about Falun Gong

On Sunday, in New York's Central Park, we met two men. One of them said they saw on a Wisconsin TV program that a teacher from China introduced how she was tortured in China. The teacher also teaches the Falun Gong exercises on TV. The man followed her to do the movements, and he said he felt strong energy at the time. He had had some understanding of Falun Gong. This time, he saw Falun Gong practitioners again, and he took the initiative to invite practitioners to have a photo taken with them. They expressed that they would begin practice Falun Gong after they returned home.

In the morning, practitioners held torture exhibits nearby Broadway Avenue and 72nd Street in Manhattan. In the past few days, due to practitioners' persistent truth clarification, many residents have learned the truth about Falun Gong, and given their support for practitioners' activities. An older woman came to the torture exhibit and said to practitioners, "Many residents have obtained your materials, and have learned the truth. I support you. You can go to more places and let more people learn the facts."

People's Kindness Gradually Awakens

Some passersby saw practitioners reenacting the torture methods used in China. They could not bear seeing practitioners being locked up in the cage, and repeatedly asked practitioners if they were tired, and if it was painful being tied to the chair. They suggested practitioners to take turns doing so, and drink more water and take more rest in such a hot weather. One woman said she could not imagine how it is in China's prison.

The woman learned the truth and expressed that we should have held such torture exhibit long ago so as to help more people learn the truth.

More people asked how they could help after learning the truth. When practitioners expressed that we only hoped they could learn the truth, and spread the truth to more people, they were moved.

Some people put money at where the truth clarification materials were placed and left.

Practitioners Can be Seen Everywhere in New York on the Weekend

A practitioner from Taiwan said she went to three cloth shops where everyone knew Falun Gong practitioners. One practitioner wore a yellow T-shirt with words, "Falun Gong." When he met people on the streets, they told him, "We saw many Falun Gong practitioners in Battery Park, there are thousands of Falun Gong practitioners on the streets."

When the reporter in a yellow T-shirt took the subway, also met a passenger who asked what Falun Gong is. When the passenger got the answer, she happily told her partner. When the reporter was about to board the flight at the airport, some passengers saw yellow T-shirt, and wanted to learn what Falun Gong is. They left happily after getting the answer.

During this truth clarification in New York, the reporter knew that many practitioners came to New York from overseas or other states in the US, they overcame many difficulties, from early morning to late night, many practitioners kept handing out flyers and clarifying the truth without having time to have a lunch. With everyone's effort, the truth is gradually winning over the hearts of more and more New York residents.