(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners in Switzerland set up an attractive yellow tent on the Tessinerplatz, which is located at the Zürich Enge train station, on July 8, 2023. They hung up exhibition boards introducing Falun Dafa and exposing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s persecution. They also hung banners seeking signatures for a petition and demonstrated the five sets of Falun Dafa exercises.
Zurich was holding a city festival that day that is held once every three years. As such, there are many entertainment games at the riverbank near the Enge train station. Many tourists were attracted by the Falun Dafa practitioners’ information booth while they made their way to the entertainment area. Some accepted flyers, and some talked to practitioners to learn more about the practice. Some even started learning the exercise movements on the spot.
Merav Dreifuss and her friend were formally becoming doctors in a month’s time. “Seeing information that exposes [the Chinese Communist Party’s] live organ harvesting, as prospective doctors, we are very intrigued so we want to find out more about it,” Merav said. Merav and her friend came straight up to the Falun Dafa practitioners’ petition table, spoke to them, and signed their signatures to show their support for Falun Dafa practitioners, “I think that what you all are doing is very important,” Merav said.
Merav said she hoped Falun Dafa practitioners could get people’s attention, perhaps win the attention of Switzerland’s federal parliament, government, or foreign office so that they can take action quickly. “That is because Falun Dafa practitioners need help when they confront a dictatorship like the one in China,” she said.
Touching on the CCP’s criminal live organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience, Merav kept saying, “This is too terrible. I cannot imagine it. I really cannot find any words to comment about it. It is too terrible. It is really hard to imagine that such things are still happening in the modern world!”
“I strongly believe that this persecution will end because the Gods are watching,” she said.
Falun Dafa practitioners demonstrate the five sets of exercises.
A mother and her children came to attend the Zurich city festival and learned about Falun Dafa.
Ten exhibition boards describing the goodness of Falun Dafa and exposing the CCP’s criminal acts in its persecution of Falun Dafa caught the attention of many passersby.
Abed Ouglad was resting near practitioners and watched them do the five sets of Falun Dafa exercises to the graceful exercise music. He became very interested and started learning the exercise movements. After learning four sets of exercises, he said, “I really like it. I felt very relaxed at the end.” He said, “Learning Falun Dafa is very good for the body as it makes people feel relaxed.”
Abed Ouglad learned the Falun Dafa exercises.
Naturopathic therapist Eda Demirelli and her husband had heard about Falun Dafa from a friend who practiced it. They also joined the weekly group exercise regularly. Demirelli still remembers the feeling she had the first day she learned Falun Dafa. “I was deeply attracted to the practice when I first started learning it. I could feel the energy that is full of compassion and it makes people feel relaxed when practicing the exercises,” she said. She stopped practicing sometime later and noticed a difference. She said when she persisted in practicing the exercises, she would not get angry easily. “I had more patience and was able to treat others better. I was also becoming more and more at peace. Only Falun Dafa has such an effect that makes people feel so relaxed. It is very good, very good, so I also introduced Falun Dafa to my other friends,” she said.
This kind of feeling kept coming into her mind, and after meeting Falun Dafa practitioners again, she said, “I have decided to go to the pond side again to join the group exercise sessions regularly.”
Demirelli felt a connection with Falun Dafa teachings of people to be good based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. “These are sacred values that are full of compassion. They are too wonderful,” she said.
“Spreading information about Falun Dafa, just like what we are doing here, is what humankind needs,” Demirelli said. “This will help to spread the divine’s energy so that more and more people can treat others with such kindness. In this way, the suffering in this world will be decreased. When people realize this point, such as teachers, bankers, etc, they will also treat others well. In this way, we can spread compassion and also the divine’s message.”
Demirelli said that when she practiced the exercises with many Falun Dafa practitioners she could feel a greater energy. She thinks that “If there are more people practicing Falun Dafa, the energy that is being displayed by Falun Dafa will change the world for the better.”
Young Yared, who has just embarked on his life as a student, was also in full agreement with Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. He thinks that “These are very important principles. Humankind should abide by them. They are what people need in their lives.”
Hasler, who came from Liechtenstein, works in information technology. When he heard about Falun Dafa’s Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance principles, he said, “They are all positive ideologies. There are many terrible things that are happening in the world. We are all humans and we all make mistakes. We learn from our mistakes and treat others with kindness. This is what we should all do. This is very important. If not, there will only be war.”
Hasler read the exhibition boards introducing Falun Dafa and exposing the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa in detail. “I want to learn more about it and see if I can help with something because this [persecution] makes people feel very sad,” he said.
He could not understand why the persecution had happened, “I cannot understand how self-cultivation to improve themselves can be interpreted to become something that is bad. I cannot understand what is bad about this.”
Many passersby signed the petition to support Falun Dafa practitioners.
Passersby sign the petition to support the Falun Dafa practitioners’ efforts to end the persecution. They also hope that more people can show concern and take action to end the persecution together.
Anskar Valera, a physiotherapist who is originally from the Philippines, had some understanding of the CCP’s criminal acts of trampling on human rights. He signed the petition and said, “I hope that my signature can help the Falun Dafa practitioners and let them continue to cultivate the practice in China.” He said, “The practice of Falun Dafa is good. It brings good health to people and it is very important to let such traditions continue.”
After hearing about the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners, which has been going on for the past 24 years, Velera said, “That is too long. Everything should be done to stop it as soon as possible.” Alongside his signature on the petition he wrote, “I hope to support the ending of this persecution.”
Hans Heidenreich, who moved to Switzerland from the United States 15 years ago, had some understanding of China under the CCP regime. He voluntarily asked Falun Dafa practitioners for the petition to sign.
“I read about the CCP’s live organ harvesting. This is too scary. Who would reject signing this petition to stop all that?” he said.
He also said, “I hope to express my support. I know that a signature may not be enough. But hundreds and thousands, even millions and billions of signatures will definitely make a difference.”
Fifteen years ago, Andrew Müller heard about the CCP’s criminal acts of persecuting Falun Dafa and harvesting the practitioners’ organs while they are still alive. However, he only got to hear the truth about Falun Dafa again on this day at the information booth. Through speaking with practitioners, he learned that a great deal of evidence proves that the CCP has been carrying out live organ harvesting.
He mentioned that, “Falun Dafa practitioners are spiritual people who practice the true principles, and Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance are all very good values.” With regards to the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa, he said that he thinks that, “All of these atrocities are shocking. It is very important for people to talk about this topic.” He signed the petition and said, “I hope that it can let the parliamentary politicians know about this topic and want to discuss it.” Müller also planned to tell his friends about the information he has gathered so far.