(Minghui.org) After he viewed the photos of the April 25 appeal, Mr. Özdemir said, “This was a courageous act. People need a way to express their demands. Freedom of speech and assembly are effective in maintaining society.”
Twenty-seven years ago, when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) escalated its persecution of Falun Gong, more than 10,000 practitioners went to the State Appeals Office in Beijing.
Falun Gong practitioners from North Rhine-Westphalia held an event in the city center of Dortmund on April 25, 2026, to commemorate the appeal and call on the German people to pay more attention to and help stop the CCP’s persecution.
The day was bright and sunny. Accompanied by gentle exercise music, the practitioners’ group exercises on the Europa-Brunnen Square drew passersby to stop and learn about the event.
Falun Gong practitioners from North Rhine-Westphalia held an event on April 25, 2026, to commemorate the April 25 appeal.
“It Is Utterly Evil to Persecute People Simply For Preserving Their Own Culture”
Ms. Gezer and her daughter condemn the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong.
Ms. Gezer, who is from Turkey, and her daughter said they are very interested in China, and they spent a long time at the Falun Gong booth. Because Ms. Gezer is a translator, she’s had the opportunity to meet people from various countries, including Uyghurs from Xinjiang, China. These experiences shaped her perspective. She believes that all ethnic groups and nations have their own foundations and characteristics, and these give rise to their languages, cultures, and histories—all of which are interconnected and deserve protection.
“Groups like Falun Gong practitioners who practice meditation and follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, seek self-improvement and inner peace. There is no way that they would harm others,” Ms. Gezer said. She believes traditional Chinese culture is profound and that it is a good thing for people to live according to Falun Gong’s principles. “Only by learning more about history and culture with an open mind can one return to one’s roots and become a true human being.”
After listening carefully to the practitioners’ explanation, Ms. Gezer signed the petition to end the brutal persecution. She said the persecution is inhumane, “In China, this persecution is especially extreme—its cruelty seems to have no bottom line. China is like a massive prison, where a free life is impossible.”
Regarding the appeal 27 years ago, she said, “When people gather to express their views, it is completely natural; it is an innate right of free individuals. In China, no one is free. This situation must change. This regime must fundamentally change.”
Practitioners showed her photos of the orderly crowd waiting quietly during the April 25 appeal. After meeting practitioner representatives, then-Premier Zhu Rongji ordered the release of detained practitioners in Tianjin and reiterated that the Chinese government would not interfere with practitioners. However, three months later, then CCP leader Jiang Zemin claimed the appeal as a “siege” and used his power to launch the persecution of Falun Gong.
Practitioners explained that by participating in the April 25 appeal, practitioners were exercising the lawful rights of all Chinese citizens. Ms. Gezer strongly agreed, “In reality, this persecution is equivalent to sentencing everyone to death, because the Chinese government does not grant even the slightest bit of freedom to anyone. That is the core issue.”
When Ms. Gezer and her daughter learned more about the transnational repression faced by Shen Yun Performing Arts, a company dedicated to reviving traditional Chinese culture, they said, “These Falun Gong practitioners are punished simply for seeking inner peace, and simply for embracing and preserving their own history and culture. Who would do such a thing? This is completely inhumane. It is utterly evil.”
“This Was a Courageous Act”
Mr. Özdemir praised the April 25 appeal and said it was a courageous act.
When Mr. Özdemir passed by the Falun Gong booth, he stopped to watch the peaceful group exercises and accepted a flyer. When he learned that he could help by signing a petition, he walked straight to the booth.
He said that Falun Gong, guided by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, is “An organization dedicated to improving individual and public well-being, and making life and the future better. It should be protected, not suppressed.” He believes that any political party or society must guarantee this right for its people and ensure it through proper systems.
Looking at the photos, Mr. Özdemir praised the Appeal 25 and said, “This was a courageous act. People need a way to express their demands. Freedom of speech and assembly are effective remedies for maintaining the development of a system.”
Regarding the CCP leader’s public launch of persecution three months after the April 25 incident, Mr. Özdemir condemned it, “Such a thing is unimaginable in the West, in Germany, or in Europe. Only when a system guarantees individual freedom, freedom of speech, and economic freedom within the society can it survive. Dictatorial regimes cannot drive national progress. In the end, such a system will collapse. We have seen this in the Soviet Union, Russia, and elsewhere. The same will happen in China.”
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Category: April 25 Events
