(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners held an event in front of The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas on April 18, 2026, to commemorate a peaceful appeal in Beijing 27 years ago. After dozens of practitioners were arrested in Tianjin, about 10,000 practitioners gathered near the State Petition Office in Beijing on April 25, 1999, to request their release. The issue was peacefully resolved by then premier Zhu Rongji.

But Jiang Zemin, the top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader at the time, launched a nationwide suppression three months later in July 1999. Over the past 27 years, thousands of practitioners have been arrested, detained, and imprisoned. The mistreatment ranges from torture, forced labor, and psychiatric abuse to killing and forced organ harvesting.

Practitioners held an event in Las Vegas on April 18 to commemorate a peaceful appeal in Beijing on April 25, 1999.

Displaying posters and banners, practitioners explained how practicing Falun Gong benefits society, because those who practice it live by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Some passersby stopped to read the materials, talked with practitioners, and asked questions. They also signed petitions urging an end to the persecution in China and the CCP’s transnational repression.

Passerby learned about the persecution in China and the benefits of practicing Falun Gong.

Support From Residents

Tami and her friend noticed the banners as they walked past the event. A practitioner shared with them her personal story of how her health improved and how she became a better person after she began practicing Falun Gong. Another practitioner described the persecution in China and how the CCP kills practitioners and harvests their organs to supply the lucrative organ transplant industry in China. Surprised by these facts, Tami asked several questions.

She said some of her coworkers were influenced by communism, and she could see this pattern at her workplace. She was very worried and hopes the situation changes. She thanked practitioners for the information, especially about the CCP’s exportation of the persecution overseas. She said people need to know this and help end it.

Angela, who also lives in the area, accepted a Falun Gong flyer and asked about the event. A practitioner explained the extent of the human rights abuses in China.

A practitioner tells Angela about Falun Gong and the suppression in China.

Although this was the first time Angela had ever heard about the persecution, she said this was an important issue and took extra flyers so she could share them with her friends. She also read every poster to learn the details.

People Sign Petitions to End the Persecution

One woman who signed a petition said she’d heard about the persecution in the past. “Yes, this is really frightening. People need to know how terrible the CCP is,” she said. “The CCP controls people’s minds and prohibits freedom of belief. The entire world needs to know this.”

A tourist from the UK asked if he could sign a petition. A practitioner showed him a petition that raises awareness of the issue in internationally, and he signed it. “After I return to the UK, I will tell my family and all my friends about this,” he said.

Members of a tour group signed petitions and said they support Falun Gong practitioners.

Raising Awareness

Mr. Zhang from China said he began practicing Falun Gong with his mother when he was a child. “My mother was arrested for her faith in August 1999, and my father was working in another city at the time,” he recalled. “When I went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, the police arrested me and took me to my local police station, where I was beaten up. I was only 17.”

He explained this is why he feels it’s important for him to participate in events like these so he can tell people his firsthand account of what is going on in China. “Innocent people are detained, jailed, and tortured,” he said. “Please don’t be fooled by the totalitarian regime’s propaganda. It harms Chinese people and is endangering the world.”