(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners held a rally in front of the Old Town Hall in the center of Dusseldorf, Germany, on July 23, to protest the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 23-year-long persecution. A Member of the NRW State Parliament came and spoke to support their efforts. 

Several practitioners gave speeches. Some demonstrated the exercises, while others told the public about the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance of Falun Gong and the mental and physical benefits of the spiritual practice. 

Practitioners held a rally in Dusseldorf’s city center on July 23. Practitioners demonstrate the Falun Dafa exercises

The practitioners’ event coincided with the Fair in Dusseldorf, and the city center was bustling with tourists from various countries. It was the first time many of them heard about Falun Dafa and how the CCP persecutes it. After learning about Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, people said that they could not understand why a government would persecute practitioners. They signed a petition calling for an end to the persecution. Many locals in Düsseldorf said they previously saw practitioners’ events. Some people asked practitioners where they could sign and said they knew about the persecution. 

People learn about Falun Dafa.People sign a petition calling for an end to the persecution. 

Member of State Parliament: Release All Detained Practitioners

Frank Börner, Member of NRW State Parliament, addressed the event.

Frank Börner, Member of NRW State Parliament, attended the event. In his speech, he emphasized that Falun Dafa practitioners are not a threat to anyone, but they are brutally persecuted by the CCP. 

“In the 23 years of violence and repression by the Communist Party, tens of thousands of (Falun Gong practitioners) died due to torture. Many are incarcerated in forced labor camps. These camps are living organ donor banks.”

Mr. Börner demanded that the CCP: “Release all detained Falun Gong practitioners and guide China to return to the civilized world.” 

Mr. Börner said that this was the second time he’s participated in practitioners’ activities. He said, “It’s unimaginable to me that people are thrown in jail, or tortured or put into labor camps (because of their belief). I’m 100% in solidarity with Falun Gong.”

Referring to what he would do to expose the persecution, Mr. Börner said, “As long as others can pay attention to this issue (the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners), I will do it. What happens in the labor camps is very unjust.” 

Public Condemns the Persecution

A middle-aged German man and his teenage Chinese-German daughter stopped at the event site. When the practitioner told him about Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and the CCP’s brutal persecution, he said that if he heard about the persecution five or ten years ago, he would not believe it was true. But now he absolutely believes it. It turned out that he worked in the Shanghai branch of a German company. After the CCP ordered the lockdown in Shanghai due to the pandemic, he decided to leave China. Regarding the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong, he said that this was the nature of the CCP and that human rights were trampled on in China.

Sandra who lives near Düsseldorf, said she planned to open a clothing factory in China and had been to China. When she saw the rally, she immediately signed the petition. She said that after the new COVID outbreak she began to pay more attention to news about China. She heard a lot of, “Worrying news, especially about the violations of human rights.” 

She also saw information about the CCP’s live organ harvesting on social media. “I now know that what you say is true, so I came to sign.” Speaking of Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, she said, “I think this is in line with basic human nature, and I believe it is part of Chinese traditional culture. I am very impressed by the Chinese, and I hope people don’t confuse the Chinese people with the CCP.”

Delivering a Letter to the Chinese Embassy

A practitioner reads a letter addressed to the Chinese Councilor in Düsseldorf. 

In their letter to the Chinese Consulate practitioner stated, “Falun Gong has only brought benefits to China and the Chinese people.” “Please think carefully about the consequences if people are forbidden to live in accordance with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance (the principles of Falun Gong). 

“Without telling the truth, lies will prevail; without kindness, violence will become commonplace; without forbearance, moral self-restraint will cease to exist. However, without moral self-restraint, society will fall into chaos. Tyranny, egoism, adultery and fornication, robbery, murder and lies will be everywhere.”

The practitioners listed the CCP’s crimes in the persecution and reminded him: “Party members will bear the consequences for the crimes of the CCP” and “we hope you have the courage to quit the Party.”

At the end, the practitioners stated, “Every crime committed by the Communist Party against Falun Gong practitioners and other victims must be corrected. Those responsible for the persecution will be brought to justice and convicted.”

A practitioner dropped the letter into the Chinese Consulate’s mailbox. 

Background: What Is Falun Dafa and Why Is the CCP Persecuting It?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings, which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and have learned the five exercises, have experienced improved health and well-being.

Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, he issued an order to eradicate the practice.

Under Jiang’s personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 23 years. The actual number is believed to be much higher. Countless practitioners have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply China’s organ transplant industry.