(Minghui.org) Nearly 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners held a rally in front of the provincial parliament building in Toronto, on July 17, 2022, to tell people about the 23-year-long persecution of Falun Gong in China, and to call for the persecution to finally end.

Candice Bergen, Member of Parliament and Interim Leader of the Conservative Party, sent a letter expressing her support for practitioners. Wladyslaw Lizon, former Member of Parliament of Canada, attended the rally to express his support and spoke at it.

Practitioners gathered in front of the provincial parliament building in Toronto on July 17, 2022 to raise awareness of the 23-year-long persecution.

Members of Parliament: Stop the Persecution of Falun Gong

Member of Parliament and Interim Leader of the Conservative Party Candice Bergen and her support letter.

Member of Parliament and Interim Leader of the Conservative Party Candice Bergen sent a support letter. She wrote, “Religious freedom is central to a just society. No One should ever be targeted or harassed for their religion, no matter where they live.”

“Sadly, for many years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been persecuting Falun Gong practitioners who have suffered greatly for their faith. Reports of unacceptable human rights abuses against the Falun Gong continue to surface, despite the fact that Falun Gong traditions are rooted in the peaceful values of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.”

“Our country has been amazingly blessed by the many Falun Gong practitioners who live in Canada who have steadfastly worked to help others improve their spiritual and mental wellness.”

“From its very foundation, Canada has been one of the world’s strongest defenders of religious liberty and has worked to ensure religious minorities around the world are able to practice their faith in peace.”

She concluded, “Canada will always be a safe place for Falun Gong practitioners, and we will continue to advocate for an end to their persecution worldwide.”

Former Member of Parliament: Join Us To Condemn the CCP’s Evil Deeds

Former Canadian MP Wladyslaw Lizon, who has supported Falun Gong for over two decades, spoke at the rally.

“I want to thank all the people who came to the rally,” he said, “We are all here to show our support for those being persecuted in China. Living in the West, we have democracy and freedom. But we should never forget those being abused by their governments, including Falun Gong practitioners whom the Chinese Communist Party has persecuted.”

Wladyslaw Lizon, former Canadian MP, who has supported Falun Gong against persecution for over two decades, addressed the rally.

He said, “The international community should let those persecuted in China know they are not alone. If the world forgets about them, the Chinese Communist Party will persecute more people. So, no matter where we live, we should all unite and condemn the CCP’s evil deeds.”

He continued to share his personal experience, “As you know, I am from Poland. Growing up in a communist country, I witnessed the same. Those Polish people who didn’t want to be ideologically controlled by the government were taken to prison and even lost their lives.”

He concluded by saying, “let’s work together again to bring down the horrible Chinese Communist regime. At that time, all Chinese people, including Falun Gong practitioners, will regain their freedom. Everyone will live a peaceful life. People can have their personal beliefs and express their political views. Freedom is a universal value. No government has the right to deprive people of their freedom. Let’s put our efforts together. I truly hope that one day in the future, we will meet again somewhere in Toronto to celebrate our victory. We will succeed!”

Speaking Out for Imprisoned Artist Ms. Xu Na

Ms. Xiaoyu Wang (left) spoke out for Ms. Xu Na, who was sentenced to eight years in prison by the CCP last year.

Ms. Xiaoyu Wang was detained and tortured in the forced labor camps twice for practicing Falun Gong and talking about the persecution to people in China. While she was detained, she suffered torture and abuse and was forced to take psychiatric drugs. She said she wanted to speak out for her friend, a practitioner Xu Na, who was sentenced to eight years in prison last year.

Ms. Xu Na is a freelance painter and she and her husband Mr. Yu Zhou practice Falun Gong.

In August 1999, the couple were detained for more than 40 days after meeting with a few other practitioners. Ms. Xu was arrested again and sentenced to five years in prison for providing lodging for practitioners from out of town in July 2001.

Mr. Yu and Ms. Xu were stopped and searched by police on their way home after a concert on the evening of January 26, 2008. The police found a Falun Gong book in their car and took the couple to the Tongzhou Detention Center. Eleven days later, on Chinese New Year’s Eve, Mr. Yu, who had been healthy and fit, died suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of forty-two. The authorities claimed that he died due to a hunger strike or illness. Ms. Xu was sentenced to three years in prison.

Several years later, a former prisoner who witnessed Mr. Yu’s death found Ms. Xu. He told her that her husband was brutally tortured and his body was covered in wounds. The man said Mr. Yu died from his injuries.

Ms. Xu was arrested for the third time on July 19, 2020, because she had taken some photos during the outbreak of the pandemic, which were published by media outside China. The authorities also accused her of gathering with other practitioners. This time she was sentenced to eight years.

Ms. Xiaoyu called for people to pay attention to this suppression and to uphold the basic human rights of practitioners.

Ms. Liu Mingyuan: Please Help Rescue My Mother

Ms. Liu Mingyuan, a student at Sheridan University in Canada, seeks help in rescuing her mother.

At the rally, Ms. Mingyuan Liu, a Sheridan University student, called on the Chinese Communist government to immediately release her mother, Ms. Liu Yan, was arrested by authorities in Kunming, Yunnan Province, for practicing Falun Gong.

She said, “My mother was arrested at her workplace on September 30, 2021, and is still detained. She was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on April 1, 2022. She was taken to the Yunnan Province No. 2 Women Prison, notorious for brainwashing and torturing Falun Gong practitioners.”

Ms. Liu’s parents, a professor majoring in English and an artist, both practice Falun Gong. After the CCP began persecuting Falun Dafa in 1999, they were sentenced to four and three years in 2012 and 2015, respectively. They were tortured, brainwashed, and forced to do high risk labor work. Ms. Liu’s grandmother passed away due to the constant worry and pressure. Her maternal grandmother was frightened by the police and became seriously ill.

Practitioners also held a candlelight vigil to mourn their fellow practitioners who died from the CCP’s persecution. They called on the public to speak out against the persecution and call for an end to it.