(Minghui.org) This year marks 25 years since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched its nationwide persecution of Falun Dafa on July 20, 1999. Practitioners in Brazil held an event on Avenida Paulista in São Paulo on July 20, 2024 to introduce Falun Dafa and to tell people about the ongoing persecution.

They set up informational displays, demonstrated the exercises and collected signatures on a petition initiated by Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH) that calls on the Seven Nations to take action against the CCP’s forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience in China, primarily Falun Dafa practitioners. They held a candlelight vigil that evening to commemorate their fellow practitioners who were killed in the persecution in China.

Practitioners tell people about Falun Dafa.

Many passersby stopped to read the materials and display boards. They were shocked to learn that the CCP has been persecuting Falun Dafa for 25 years. Many of them expressed their concern and signed the petition.

“Everyone needs the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance!”

After she was told about the persecution in China, Lia Toledo said she was stunned, “This is truly a challenging situation.”

She repeatedly said it was very hard to believe that this atrocity is happening, “We live in Brazil and have the freedom to do many things in our country. To imagine that people are having their organs trafficked in 2024 is unbelievable.”

Lia Toledo said she was shocked to hear about the organ harvesting which targets Falun Dafa practitioners.

When she learned that Falun Dafa teaches people to live according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, she was very supportive. “It’s something that everyone definitely needs, really needs!” Lia said. “It’s important that people understand that they need these three principles to live better, to live in a better community. So if we all followed these three principles, everything would certainly change.”

She explained she had some basic knowledge of Chinese culture, because she had Chinese friends when she lived in Canada. She admired the inner strength of Chinese people and felt this strength came from spirituality.

“The Chinese have a very tough history and are very strong people. They have great resilience,” she said. “So these practices (Falun Dafa) show that they are on another spiritual level. We can all reach that level as well. This practice can take us to higher levels.”

She wished to tell Falun Dafa practitioners in China to persevere in their faith, even under the CCP’s pressure. “Never give up, don’t stop!” said Lia. “If it’s something you believe in, no one can take it away from you. You suffer and are tortured—I can’t imagine how bad it must be, I don’t think anyone can take away what’s inside us.”

Lia signed the petition to end forced organ harvesting in China.

“What makes me sad is religious intolerance.”

Larissa read the banners and asked a practitioner about Falun Dafa. She said, “I am quite shocked by this because I had no idea that this was happening. I knew about China’s political issues, for example with Taiwan,” she said, “but I did not imagine such a brutal persecution is happening. I am truly shocked.

She signed the petition to end forced organ harvesting and said what the CCP is doing is a reminder that society can deviate very far because of communism.

“What really makes me sad is religious intolerance,” she said. “It shows how far society will go. Unfortunately, we know that everything can get worse.”

Hope Despite the Darkness

That evening, practitioners lit candles and sat in silence to honor the practitioners who lost their lives. They felt the candlelight represents hope for an end to the persecution in China.

A passerby was attracted by the scene. A practitioner handed him a flyer and explained that Falun Dafa practitioners have been persecuted in China for a quarter of a century.

Another man who stopped to learn about the issue said, “I give my full support to Falun Dafa!”