(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners from Philadelphia participated in the Newark Community Day event in Delaware on September 15, 2024. It is one of the largest local annual activities, attracting about 10,000 people each year from local as well as nearby states, such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.

Dafa practitioners set up a booth, demonstrated the Falun Dafa exercises, and introduced people to the practice. Many people stopped to watch. The practitioners also raised awareness of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of practitioners in China, and explained the facts about the CCP atrocities of harvesting organs from living practitioners. Upon learning the facts, many people signed the petition, urging the Senate to pass the Falun Gong Protection Act and stop the CCP from harvesting organs from living practitioners. People said that they would tell others about this.

Falun Dafa practitioners participated in the Newark Community Day event in Delaware on September 15, 2024.

Practitioners clarified the facts about Falun Dafa and the CCP’s persecution of the cultivation practice during the Newark Community Day event in Delaware. People signed a petition calling for ending the CCP’s organ harvesting from living practitioners.

State Representative Calls on Senate to Pass Falun Gong Protection Act as Soon as Possible

Mr. Paul Baumbach, state representative for District 23, attended the Newark Community Day event that day. He had co-sponsored the resolution of Delaware House Concurrent Resolution 143 (HCR143) condemning forced organ harvesting practices in China. He said that the CCP’s crime of harvesting organs from living practitioners is shocking, and the facts about it should be made known to more American people.

State Representative Paul Baumbach said that the CCP’s crime of harvesting organs from living practitioners is shocking, and the facts about it should be made known to more Americans.

“We Americans don’t know much about it. So I think it’s very important to raise the awareness of this tragedy across Delaware and the entire country,” Mr. Baumbach said. He suggested making sure to speak up in the international community, to put more pressure on the CCP, and to force it to stop harvesting organs from living people.

The Delaware House of Representatives unanimously passed HCR143 on June 20, 2024, which condemns forced organ harvesting. The resolution calls on legislators to encourage the medical community in Delaware to educate the public about the atrocities of forced organ harvesting happening in China, so as to prevent people in Delaware from being unknowingly involved in the crime.

Mr. Baumbach said that the CCP is extremely wrong to persecute Chinese people. “They don’t put people first, like us Americans,” he said. He pointed out that through involvement by the international community, they would realize the atrocities they are committing is a horrendous mistake, and assure that they should value all citizens of their country.

Regarding the Falun Gong Protection Act passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on June 25, 2024, Mr. Baumbach said that he hoped the Senate would also pass the bill as soon as possible. He remarked that Congress plays a very important role in international issues because it has the best voice to apply pressure on another country, especially when the CCP does something we cannot accept, such as the persecution happening in China. He said he hoped that all Senators would follow the lead of the U.S. House of Representatives, join in the effort, and ensure the passage of this bill in the Senate.

The Falun Gong Protection Act (H.R. 4132) requests the U.S. to help stop the CCP state-sponsored organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience, to sanction those who have participated in or those who are complicit in the forced organ harvesting in China. This includes freezing assets located in the U.S., denying visas and entry into the United States, and a series of financial and criminal penalties.

State Representative: It is Important to Vote to Support Legislation

Ms. Cyndie Romer, state representative of District 25, also attended the Newark Community Day event that day. She said she would vote to support ending the CCP’s crime of harvesting organs from living practitioners. “I think this issue is too difficult to believe. I think it is really important to vote and support such kind of legislation, because it can improve people’s understanding of such things,” she said. “This (forced organ harvesting) sounds too crazy. But the reality is, it is happening, it is happening to people. I will proudly vote to support ending such a thing.”

Ms. Cyndie Romer, state representative for District 25, said that she would vote to support ending the CCP’s crime of harvesting organs from living practitioners.

Ms. Romer said that the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa and suppressing of freedom of belief is ultimately for the sake of control. “The power is to have control. Every piece of legislation we see that restricts civil liberties or rights is about power and control. That is their key point,” she said.

Ms. Romer said that it was very important to let more American people know about it. “I think American people can talk to other people about this and publish relevant information,” she said. “I think this could be the most important thing. Because when we educate ourselves, we will ultimately share this information with others. Because we feel angry, because it is the thing we can hardly believe. So I think American people can truly voice their disgust.”

Falun Dafa Benefits Mind and Body and is Welcomed by People

Ms. Christine Hudson watched practitioners demonstrate the Falun Dafa exercises. She said that the exercises looked peaceful and the practitioners showing the exercises looked energetic and healthy. When she learned that practitioners were being persecuted in China and even killed for their organs, she yelled, “It’s horrible!” She said, “Everyone should have the freedom to keep his faith, and should not be persecuted.”

Ms. Angeline Erilon, a retired nurse, sat on a bench watching practitioners do the exercises. She said that she had a stroke three years ago and was taking rehabilitation training. She was very interested in Falun Dafa improving the health of mind and body. “Looks like this will be very helpful,” she said. When she learned that practitioners were being persecuted by the CCP, she said that people should have the freedom of belief.

Ms. Angeline Erilon, a retired nurse, after watching practitioners demonstrate the Dafa exercises on September 15, 2024, said that she was very interested after hearing that Falun Dafa can improve the health of mind and body.

Practitioners have participated in this event for over ten years. Practitioner Cindy said that many people became very interested after watching practitioners demonstrate the exercises. “A lot of people want to learn more about practices from the east. They accepted Falun Dafa. Many of the people listened to the introduction of the practice, followed practitioners to learn the exercises, and also wanted to join the group of practitioners doing the exercises.”

Cindy said that it was important to let American people know about the persecution and organ harvesting. “Because they could go to China for an organ transplant without knowing about the organ harvesting, or American hospitals could have some connections with China. If they know about these issues, they could decouple from China’s organ transplant industry, thus cut off the demand side of the CCP’s organ harvesting supply chain. This is also a fight to stop the CCP’s crimes.”