(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners held a rally in front of the Chinese Embassy on Brussels on April 23, 2025, to commemorate the 26^th anniversary of the April 25 appeal.

Rally to commemorate the 26^th anniversary of the April 25 appeal

Mr. Nico Bijnens, president of the Belgian Falun Dafa Association, said that on April 25, 1999, more than 10,000 Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) practitioners went to the Appeals Office in Beijing to peacefully demand the release of 45 practitioners who’d been arrested and detained in Tianjin.

Mr. Nico Bijnens, president of the Belgian Falun Dafa Association

“The April 25 petition was a sincere and legal appeal to the government to grant a group of practitioners freedom of belief,” said Mr. Bijnens. “They did not make any political demands, nor did they engage in radical behavior. The issue was resolved that same day.

“The practitioners’ behavior showed the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the world that Falun Gong is a peaceful cultivation group guided by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.”

He said that the CCP used the petition as an excuse to launch the persecution three months later. He said, “As Falun Dafa practitioners, we today uphold the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and follow the peaceful and rational example of the April 25 appeal to protest the CCP’s 26-year persecution.”

The Petition Upholds Belief

Mr. Wilfried Duchamps

Mr. Wilfried Duchamps began practicing Falun Dafa in December 6, 2006: “I follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance in my daily life. I look within when my thoughts do not conform to the principles. I read Zhuan Falun, the main text of Falun Dafa, every day and do the five exercises.

“The moment in my life that moved me the most was the day I learned about the April 25 petition. It was also the day I had a deep understanding of the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.

“On that special day, what I saw was not a political event, but a group of ordinary people who defended justice, peace, and faith from the bottom of their hearts,” he said.

When Philip first learned about Falun Gong in 2002, he also heard about the April 25 appeal.

“As a Westerner, what stunned me most when I heard about it was the calmness, peacefulness, and determination the practitioners showed in the face of pressure and injustice. They just stood quietly on the sidewalk in an orderly manner. They just wanted to tell the truth, to say that Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” he said.

He said this incident motivated him, “Because I felt a sense of responsibility and wanted to tell more people the truth that was covered up. I think if I were in China at that time, I might have stood up like they did, because this is not only for myself, but also for justice, kindness, and others. I also always hope to sit side by side with all the Falun Gong practitioners who still insist on their beliefs—in China and in every corner of the world—even if it is just spiritual support.”

He said justice would eventually prevail over evil. More and more people are awakening, and more and more governments are openly supporting Falun Gong, and recognizing the persecution.