(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners held a rally in front of the Chinese Embassy on April 24 to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the April 25th appeal. They also called for an immediate end to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Dafa.
Practitioners peacefully rallied in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington DC on April 24 to commemorate the April 25th appeal.
Recalling the April 25th Appeal
On April 25, 1999, over 10,000 Falun Dafa practitioners went to the Central Appeals Office in Beijing to appeal for the release of the fellow practitioners illegally arrested in Tianjin. They also asked for a peaceful environment to practice, and for permission to publish Falun Dafa books.
Ms. Chunyan Wang addresses the rally.
Originally from Dalian, Liaoning Province, Ms. Chunyan Wang addressed the rally and said, “Facing a tyrannical regime, Falun Dafa practitioners spoke up with compassion. They risked their lives and personal property. They left quietly after they were told the issue was resolved.”
Ms. Wang recalled that day and said, “No rubbish was left on the ground. By their upright behavior, practitioners manifested the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. They earned the respect of the world’s people.”
Practitioner Min Ge addresses the rally.
Practitioner Min Ge said, “In the face of the horrors of the CCP’s various political movements for decades, and under tremendous pressure from society, their work units and families, Falun Dafa practitioners calmly stepped out and showed the world their broad compassion and tolerance. It is because they assimilated to Dafa's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”
The April 25th Appeal Moves Falun Dafa to the International Stage
Mr. Ding, a doctorate candidate of economics who came to the United States to study before 1999, said that due to media reports about the April 25th appeal, many countries began paying attention to Falun Dafa.
“The scene of Falun Dafa practitioners peacefully petitioning on April 25th often appears in documentaries about Falun Dafa. It is a historical moment and has had a profound impact. It set a precedent for the various activities practitioners hold across the world calling to end the CCP’s persecution over the past two decades,” he said.
“Through their numerous activities, Falun Dafa practitioners' calm and kind demeanor has impressed people. Their gentle and soul-touching inner peace silently dissolves the CCP’s lies, conveys kindness, and quietly changes people’s views.”
Mr. Ding thought the April 25th appeal encouraged practitioners across the world to clarify the truth peacefully and rationally.
Practitioners demonstrate the Falun Dafa exercises.
He said that most people around the world have similar impressions of Falun Dafa. For example, local practitioners in Washington DC practice silently in a small park in front of the previous Chinese embassy on Connecticut Avenue every weekend. Others quietly meditate on the National Mall's lawn, while some clarify the truth to tourists or persuade Chinese to quit the CCP organizations.
Many years later, people say they remember seeing or speaking to Falun Dafa practitioners. When they recall those scenes, people know that practitioners are kind and tell the truth. Some people who listened to practitioners' truth clarification might not really understand it at the time. However, as the CCP’s nature becomes increasingly exposed to the world, they may remember and say, “What those practitioners said is true!”
As People Awaken, the CCP's Demise Nears
Practitioner Erik Meltzer said practitioners' kindness sharply contrasts with the CCP's brutality.
Erik Meltzer, who works as a software trainer in the television and media industry, heard about Falun Dafa in 2000 and began practicing.
He said, “Falun Dafa practitioners’ peaceful petitions embody their willingness to guard kindness and defend morality. This is in sharp contrast to the CCP regime's brutal behavior for decades.”
“The April 25th Appeal should be remembered by people. On this day, a group of good people resisted the CCP’s persecution in a noble way and did not yield to those in power. People should give Falun Dafa practitioners honor because they do their best to make their country a better and freer place in a peaceful way.”
Practitioner Ms. Ge said that the April 25th appeal gave the CCP an opportunity to be kind. But the CCP’s nature determines that it persecutes kind people. On July 20, 1999, Jiang Zemin, the then head of the CCP, and his faction manipulated the state machinery and launched the brutal persecution of Falun Dafa.
Facing the unjust persecution over the past 22 years, practitioners follow Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and clarify the truth peacefully and rationally to the world. More and more people have come to know the true nature of the CCP and the grace of Falun Dafa.
She said, “As more people awaken to the truth, the CCP is heading for destruction.”
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Category: April 25 Events
