(Clearwisdom.net) From July 19 to July 21, 2007, Falun Gong practitioners from around the world gathered outside the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. They silently sent forth righteous thoughts and protested the eight years of inhuman persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. This activity was the catalyst for Washington D.C. practitioners to reflect back to July 20, 1999, when they first began to protest at the embassy.
Falun Gong practitioners' peaceful protest outside the Chinese Embassy
On July 20, 1999, D.C. practitioners came to the Chinese Embassy in Washington after they learned that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had illegally arrested and detained practitioners throughout China. Practitioner Ms. Tao recalled, "We did not know what to do, but we knew that we had to come here, because this is one of the seats of the CCP outside of China. We thought that since the CCP persecutes us, we will demonstrate in front of the CCP Embassy. Over 400 practitioners came that day." Besides practicing the exercises outside the Embassy, practitioners handed messages to the embassy staff that said that the persecution of Falun Gong is wrong. More and more practitioners came to Washington D.C. They demonstrated exercises at Capitol Hill, held press conferences, met with their representatives and told them about Falun Gong and that the CCP was persecuting Falun Gong. They asked the representatives to please help stop the persecution. From that day on, there have been many activities to stop the persecution, as the persecution in China continues unceasingly. When practitioners are killed daily due to the persecution, how can practitioners outside of China not act?
The peaceful protest outside the Chinese Embassy began in October 1999, and is still going strong today. It has never stopped. Practitioners practice the Falun Gong exercises and protest the CCP's persecution daily at the Chinese Embassy. Ms. Tao said, "We simply want to send the message - stop the persecution. As long as the persecution continues and the evil party does not disintegrate, we won't stop protesting."
Chinese People are Changing
Ms. Tao said that at the beginning of the protest, several dozen people came out of the Embassy to harass the practitioners who were doing the exercises. Then, they tried to convince practitioners with lies broadcast by the CCP. However, practitioners know that before the truth, lies will dissolve. After the practitioners proved the lies false, one after another, the Embassy staff remained quiet for a long time.
Day after day, practitioners peacefully practiced the exercises, handed out truth-clarification materials, and told people the facts about Falun Gong. The Embassy staff asked for more information. Many came out to talk to practitioners, take materials and then read them after going back into the Embassy.
Some Embassy staff members came understand the truth and realized that Falun Dafa was good. Once, Ms. Tao saw several people shoveling snow. After they greeted each other, Ms. Tao said, "Falun Dafa is good!" They instantly replied, "Good! Good! Good!"
Many of the practitioners explained why they protested against the CCP's persecution. The Embassy staff are just like other Chinese people. They had been deceived by the lies broadcast by the CCP, and therefore, they are also victims. Practitioners hope that they can truly understand the truth of Falun Gong, and not help a tyrant to do evil and bring harm to themselves and others.
Support from Police
No matter the weather, practitioners carry out their protest. This has made a deep impression on the police officers in Washington. Therefore, they support practitioners in their own way.
On a rainy spring day in 2000, Ms. Tao sat in mediation, wearing a raincoat. Three police officers in a police car stopped. One of them walked over and asked Ms. Tao if she was cold, and when she would leave. Then he said, "We are over there. If anything happens, let us know." The three police officers quietly watched on the side. In the evening, when Ms. Tao got ready to leave, the police officers came over again and said, "See you tomorrow." They knew that practitioners would protest again the next day.
A young policeman had been on patrol for a very long time and then was gone for a while. When he met Ms. Tao again, he told her, "I went to Europe and I saw Falun Gong practitioners in the same clothes as yours in France and Germany. After he learned that CCP hooligans beat practitioners in New York and San Francisco, he furiously took out his handcuffs, faced the Chinese Embassy and said, "If such a thing happens in Washington, call me immediately. I'll handcuff them immediately. This is America! How dare they!" He also said that his job included protecting practitioners from harm.
Shortly after the September 11 terrorism attack, the workload of the police increased. On one occasion, this young policeman sat down on the bench next to the protest site. He told Ms. Tao that he was extremely tired. He had worked 12 hours daily, and had not had any time off. Ms. Tao suggested that he did not need to come to the Embassy. She told him that the practitioners would be fine. He said, "I know that even if only a few of you here, or if one hundred, one thousand or more are here, all of you practice Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance. I just come here to sit for a while when I am very tired. Then I feel very comfortable. So, I come here to relax when I am tired."
Later, this policeman was promoted. He no longer came out on patrol. One time he arrived at the practitioners' protest site in plainclothes. He came over to talk to the practitioners. He told the practitioners, "I'm off work right now. Actually I did not want to change my job. If you see my previous boss, please tell him, I did not want to change jobs. I am willing to be here. I like to be with you."
For nearly eight years, Falun Gong practitioners did not stop even for one day, including after the 9-11 incident. The second day after the 9-11 incident, Ms. Tao came to the Chinese Embassy again, and told the police, "The 9-11 incident caused innocent people to be killed by terrorism. However, do you know, in China the CCP brutally persecutes Falun Gong practitioners. What they practice is state terrorism. Today I come here to protest the CCP. Is it ok?" The police said no problem, the protest could go ahead as usual.
It has been eight years of peaceful protests. There are too many stories to recount about the daily protests outside the Chinese Embassy. The long-suffering and peacefulness exhibited by practitioners in the face of the evil persecution inspires people from all walks of life. It also clearly shows that the evil has failed completely.
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Category: Rallies & Protests
