(Minghui.org) Practitioners held a large-scale rally on Amsterdam Square in the capital city of Amsterdam on May 10, 2025, to celebrate the 26th World Falun Dafa Day and the 33rd anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction to the world. They also wished their founder, Master Li Hongzhi, a happy birthday.

Harry van Bommel, a former member of the House of Representatives of the Socialist Party in the Netherlands, attended the rally and spoke in response to congratulatory letters from Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH) and Global Human Rights Defenders (GHRD).

At noon, Ms. Wang Jiaen, the chair of the Dutch Falun Dafa Association, announced the beginning of the celebration, and the waist drum team kicked off the event by performing, “Falun Dafa Is Good.” Practitioners also demonstrated the exercises, and young practitioners did a celetial maiden dance. Practitioners told people about Falun Dafa and its guiding principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

Many people stopped to watch and recorded the event on their cameras. They signed a petition to end the persecution and some wanted to learn the exercises.

Practitioners held a rally on Dam Square in Amsterdam on May 10 and demonstrated the Falun Dafa exercises.

Waist drum performance.

Young practitioners perform a celetial maiden dance.

Former Member of the Dutch House of Representatives Congratulates Practitioners

Harry van Bommel was a member of the Dutch Socialist Party and served as a member of the House of Representatives of Parliament for 19 years. Speaking at the rally, he said that Falun Dafa is a spiritual movement based on traditional Chinese values. It has no political or strictly religious intent, and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance that Falun Dafa follows are universal values that are important to everyone.

Harry van Bommel, a former member of the House of Representatives of the Socialist Party, addressed the event.

He praised the calm and peace Falun Dafa brought to people and called on more people to understand Falun Dafa and pay attention to the human rights violations against its practitioners in China. He wanted to tell the persecuted practitioners in China: “Please believe in the support of the international community, whether it is overseas Falun Dafa practitioners or international organizations, please keep in contact with people, so that more people can understand the beauty of Falun Dafa!”

Dr. Andreas Weber, Deputy Director of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH), said in a congratulatory letter: “On behalf of the Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, I would like to extend my warm greetings and congratulations to our founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi, and Falun Gong practitioners around the world, especially in the Netherlands.”

Ms. Wang Jiaen, the chair of the Dutch Falun Dafa Association in the Netherlands.

Ms. Wang Jiaen, the chair of the Dutch Falun Dafa Association in the Netherlands, read a congratulatory letter on behalf of the NGO. “On December 10, 2024, the 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we collectively petitioned the Dutch Parliament to pass the Falun Gong Protection Act, which was passed in the US House of Representatives just a few days ago. Members of the Dutch parliament have accepted the petition.

“Thank you to every Falun Gong practitioner for being a bright light of hope in the darkest times of human dignity. At the same time, I ask every practitioner to continue to show the world the power and beauty of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.”

In its congratulatory letter, the Global Defense for Human Rights (GHRD) said: “We are very honored to join you in celebrating the 26th World Falun Dafa Day and the 33rd anniversary of Falun Dafa being introduced to the world. Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a spiritual practice rooted in the Buddhist tradition that advocates the value of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, bringing profound physical and mental benefits to people and being embraced by people from all walks of life in more than a hundred countries.

“At GHRD, we are committed to standing with the Falun Dafa community. It is our firm desire to draw attention to this grave atrocity, not only at the United Nations, but also with the international community as a whole. We will continue to advocate for transparency, accountability, and justice to ensure that the Falun Dafa community’s voice is heard globally.

“We stand ready to support these efforts of the Falun Dafa community, and through solidarity and collective action, we can collectively create a future in which the rights and dignity of every human being are upheld, and the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance can guide us all.”

Practitioners Thank Master for Introducing Dafa

Marijke Alta, a Dutch practitioner, has practiced since 2017. She said she talked with practitioners who were persecuted in China and they told her about the beauty of Dafa. Before she practiced, she couldn’t do anything due to severe traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but after she began practicing and read Zhuan Falun repeatedly, she found that she could follow her own heart, instead of going along with other people’s ideas.

Marijke Alta thanks Master.

She said, “My attachment is fear, and as Master said, when I keep letting go of my fear layer by layer, my life becomes truly relaxed. Now that I am able to control myself, when conflicts arise, I will have a buffer. I look inward as a cultivator and act according to the standards of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, not only to calm myself, but also to help the other person.”

She expressed her deep gratitude to Master: “Thank you for spreading Dafa in the world, thank you for always guiding me on the path of cultivation, and on this beautiful day, I wish you a happy birthday. Thank you, Master!”

Practitioners share the joy of World Falun Dafa Day with visitors.

People sign a petition to the Dutch parliament to pass the Falun Gong Protection Act.

Ming, a YouTuber from Malaysia, participated in the World Falun Dafa Day celebration and recorded it all. He said, “It feels like I was meant to be here.”

Ming from Malaysia participates in the Falun Dafa Day celebrations in Amsterdam.

Ming said he believes in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and that living according to them will bring people blessings. He thanked Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa, and exclaimed, “Happy birthday, Mr. Li! Thank you for your contribution to humanity!”

Mary from Sweden (left) and her husband participated in the celebration.

Mary believes the values of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are in line with China’s traditional values, which is why Falun Dafa spread so rapidly in China in just seven years after it was introduced—hundreds of millions of people practiced. She believes that every country in the world needs these values which should be celebrated at all times. She wished Mr. Li Hongzhi “Happy Birthday!”