(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners held a photo exhibit outside the San Francisco City Hall on April 21, 2026, to commemorate their peaceful appeal in Beijing on April 25, 1999.
Practitioners’ photo exhibit outside the San Francisco City Hall on April 21
Wu Junxiang, who helped organize the activity, explained why practitioners commemorate this event every year: “On April 25, 1999, over 10,000 practitioners went to the State Appeals Office in Beijing to ask for the release of practitioners who were detained in Tianjin. It was a peaceful gathering. Yet, three months later, on July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Falun Gong. Many practitioners were arrested and sent to prison. Worse still, some had their organs removed without their consent.
“We are here today to tell the public the facts about the persecution. At the same time, we call on the US government to pay attention to Falun Gong practitioners who continue to be persecuted in China.”
Recalling the April 25 Appeal
Mr. Feng, who is 80, held a banner during the event. He recounted his memories of participating in the appeal in 1999.
He said the peaceful gathering of 10,000 practitioners at the Appeals Office in Beijing on April 25, 1999, impressed people both in China and overseas. A peaceful appeal also took place in Shenyang Province, Northeast China. Mr. Feng said that, after practitioners in Tianjin, were illegally arrested, practitioners throughout China went to their local governments to request the release of the practitioners who’d been arrested in Tianjin.
“There were many practitioners outside the Shenyang government office. It was impossible to count how many.” Mr. Feng said it was similar to what went on in Beijing, where practitioners stood quietly, some reading Dafa books, others doing the exercises. It was peaceful and orderly. When the practitioners in Shenyang learned the problem was resolved in Beijing, they quickly and quietly dispersed.
Mr. Feng worked in a chemical factory and regularly came into contact with as many as 24 different poisonous raw chemicals, including cyanide and benzene. Working in those conditions long term left his throat severely inflamed, and he often noticed lumps on his skin.
When he heard about Falun Gong at the end of 1995 and did the exercises for the first time, he said he felt energy moving in his body. After he started to practice, the ailments that had plagued him for many years due to his occupation, including pain in his back and legs, miraculously disappeared.
Despite his age, he continues to participate in activities to tell people about the persecution. He said he hopes people learn why practitioners appealed on April 25 and can see how evil the CCP is.
We Should Learn From the Spirit of the April 25 Appeal
Ms. Li Ke, a Chinese woman who lives in San Francisco, said she always wanted to attend a Falun Gong activity. When she learned of the event that day, she came to show her support. Holding a sign that read “Remember April 25,” she said, “We should learn from the spirit of the April 25 Appeal. My impression of Falun Gong practitioners is that they are especially honest.”
Ms. Li Ke with the sign she made. It says, “Remember April 25.”
“I came here today to see the photos and the demeanor of Falun Gong practitioners. I saw them doing the exercises, and it made me feel really peaceful. They are all kind and hardworking.
“America is a country with religious faith, and we have freedom of belief. We must express our voices bravely.”
Passerby Express Support for Falun
August Forman, who works in customer service. signed the petition to call for an end to the persecution after a practitioner explained the reason for the event.
August Forman (right) signed the petition to call for an end to the atrocities.
Mr. Forman explained why he signed the petition: “I must do this, because it’s the right thing. This is to support human rights, to support you. Human rights is universal. This is the first time I’ve heard about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. You are making people aware of the truth.”
He said he admires practitioners who took part in the April 25 Appeal, “They risked their lives to do that—that’s why they are doing this today. Please continue to tell people the facts, keep doing what you do. Expose the persecution, let the whole world know.”
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Category: April 25 Events
