(Minghui.org) The European Tian Guo Marching Band and Falun Dafa practitioners from over 12 countries held marches and rallies in Athens, the capital of Greece, on October 4 and 5, 2024. They introduced Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) to residents and tourists and called on all sectors of society to pay attention to and help stop the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 25-year-long persecution of the practice.
Marches were held in Athens on October 4 and 5 to tell people about the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa.
March on Monastiraki Square draws people’s attention.
March in Athens peacefully protests the CCP’s persecution
Rally on Syntagma Square
On October 4 and 5, starting at 11:30 a.m. and again at 5 p.m. each day, the European Tian Guo Marching Band led the procession, followed by a dancing golden dragon, a banner team, and waist drum team. Each march started in Kotzia Square, went down Stadiou Street to Syntagma Square, then followed Ermou Street to Monastiraki Square, and finally passed through the ancient Agora of Athens to Thissio Station.
Practitioners from many countries participated.
“Falun Dafa is good” in Greek.
People watch the march and take photos.
The waist drum team performed during the march.
Banner with information about the CCP’s forced organ harvesting
People sign the petition calling to stop the CCP’s persecution.
The parade passed tourist attractions and famous commercial streets filled with residents and tourists. Many people took photos, applauded, waved, cheered, or gave them a thumbs up. When the march stopped briefly at Syntagma Square and Monastiraki Square, a practitioner representative introduced Falun Gong to the onlookers and told them about the CCP’s persecution.
DAFOH: Forced Organ Harvesting Is the Worst Genocide in the 21st Century
Effie Gana, Representative of DAFOH, spoke during the rally and condemned the CCP’s forced organ harvesting.
Effie Gana, the Greek representative of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH), first quoted an article from the United Nations’ Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948):
“Genocide. Any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: a) Killing members of the group; b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.”
“However,” she continued, “more than 70 years after the implementation of this convention, a genocidal crime of forced organ harvesting from living prisoners of conscience is still going on in China under the sanction of the Chinese Communist Party, and it is happening nationwide.
“The main victims are Falun Gong practitioners.” She said that DAFOH and the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China (ETAC) drafted a petition, “Stop Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners of Conscience in the People’s Republic of China,” to support Falun Gong practitioners and victims such as Christians, Uyghurs, and Tibetans. She called on people to sign the petition to urge the G7+7 [Editor’s Note: G7+EU countries+Argentina, Australia, India, Israel, Mexico, South Korea and Taiwan] to recognize that the forced organ harvesting by the CCP is a crime against humanity and a threat to medical ethics around the world.
Greek Police Impressed by Peaceful Protest
People talk with practitioners to learn about Falun Dafa.
This is the third time that Falun Dafa practitioners in Europe have held a large-scale march in Athens. The Greek police department is well aware that this group is peaceful, so they only dispatched regular police officers to lead the march and control traffic in front and behind them.
When practitioners were holding their event on October 5, a radical group was marching that day. Under the supervision of dozens of heavily armed riot police holding shields, that group was in Syntagma Square shouting inflammatory slogans, and bystanders hurried away from the area. This was in sharp contrast to the calm and peaceful Falun Dafa group on the other side of the square.
After the last Falun Dafa march, one police officer told practitioners, “We are very willing to escort your procession. Chinese [traditional] culture emphasizes abiding by laws and regulations. During the march, you all stood in a row and did not cause any trouble for us or the traffic.” He smiled and continued, “I like this kind of march very much. I hope you come again next year.”
Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance Is Meaningful for Everyone
Marvin was happy to see the practitioners’ march.
“I think it’s very important to have these values. I think it’s maybe what all lives are about,” said Marvin after he learned that Falun Gong’s guiding principles are Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.
Marvin saw the march in Monastiraki Square. When he heard that practitioners were persecuted by the CCP in China, he signed a petition to end it. He said he signed the petition to Stop Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners of Conscience in China, “Because I really want to support this kind of community who do good things for your mind and body.”
About the CCP’s forced organ harvesting, he said, “It’s terrible, because I just don’t understand why people can’t live their way. If they are not harming anyone and other people don’t suffer because of what they do, I think it’s a pretty good thing to have people like this [Falun Gong practitioners].”
He told practitioners, “Don’t lose hope. Stay faithful. Fight for your compassion.”
March Welcomed
Julia (middle) and Babak (right) hold a banner.
Julia and Babak from the United States were visiting relatives in Greece. When they heard that their sister Nina and brother-in-law Alex were going to Athens to march with the Tian Guo Marching Band, they decided to join them.
As Julia and Babak held banners during the four marches, they passed through the bustling city center and pedestrian streets. They were impressed by how enthusiastic and attentive people were.
Julia said, “You can see people everywhere taking flyers and reading them carefully. Some people found that they did not understand the language on the flyers, so they asked practitioners for flyers in their own language.”
“The event was great.” Babak said. “Such a large-scale march immediately let people focus on the issue of Falun Gong and left a deep impression.” He said he talked to many people who asked about Falun Dafa.
Appreciation for Practitioners
Rosa (middle) and her husband and daughter from Spain
Rosa and her family from Spain were in Greece on vacation. They watched the performances and listened to the speeches during the rally on Syntagma Square and accepted the small origami lotus flowers a practitioner offered. Rosa said the practitioners’ activities were spectacular.
“It’s so beautiful and nice,” Rosa said. “It’s necessary that you tell people, for the stability of the world situation. It’s very important to let every country and every person know what’s happening in China. Despite this situation in China, practitioners still want to bring us blessings, and I’m very grateful.”
Speaking of Falun Gong’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, Rosa said, “I think it’s necessary to have these values in today’s world. Driven by technology, everyone’s pace of life is fast. It’s necessary for someone to do something to remind people that the world needs a peaceful society.”
Anthony, a retired teacher who lives in northern Athens, saw the march on Monastiraki Square and danced in time to the waist drums. He exclaimed, “Great! So wonderful!”
When he learned that most of the practitioners participating in the event were from other European countries, Anthony asked a practitioner, “Who pays you?” The practitioner told him that they were all volunteers and were not paid. She explained that practitioners hold these activities in many European countries every year so that everyone can hear about Falun Gong and help end the CCP’s persecution. Anthony was moved by the practitioners’ selfless dedication and hoped their events would go well and be successful.
People Condemn the Persecution
Kathrine said she liked the band’s performance.
Kathrine saw the Falun Gong march on Syntagma Square. A practitioner explained the principles of Falun Gong and the CCP’s persecution in China. “I think these [Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance] are the foundation of humanity,” Kathrine said. “If we want to enjoy life, we must do this. This is basic and everyone must have [values].
“The persecution of Falun Gong is really cruel. I can’t believe that someone would persecute others for this reason [belief]. This is a real crime. I can’t imagine anything more evil than this.”
Moran from Israel told a practitioner, “I don’t understand why the Chinese Communist government wants to arrest them [Falun Gong practitioners]. They just meditate and do good things for others. This is unreasonable, weird, and cruel. It’s unbelievable and inhumane. Actually, this is genocide.”
Moran said she agrees with the values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. She said, “These are the most important values in the world.” After seeing the introduction to Falun Gong and the exercises on the banner, she said, “This practice is beautiful. It looks calm. It looks good. It looks like the right thing to do.”
Two girls, both named Maria, talked with a practitioner and learned that practitioners are good people who practice Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. However, they are cruelly persecuted by the CCP in China.
One Maria said, “It’s very sad that people cannot express themselves and be free in their own country and that they are killed for their belief and for how they live their life.”
The other Maria said, “It’s a violation of their human right to express what they think. It’s really nice to see that they are trying to change that for themselves and for the better.”
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Category: Rallies & Protests
