(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners held activities in Rome, Italy, on June 28, 2026, including a parade from Centro Storico to Via dei Fori Imperiali.

Many passersby stopped to watch, and some took out their phones to take photos and videos of the banners, lion and dragon dances, waist drummers, and Tian Guo Marching Band musicians in their blue and gold outfits.

The European Tian Guo Marching Band marching in front of the Colosseum (Minghui.org)

Falun Gong practitioners from several European countries participated in a parade in Rome on June 28. (Minghui.org)

Practitioners demonstrated the exercises on Via dei Fori Imperiali. The Tian Guo Marching Band and waist drum team were also performing. (Minghui.org)

Sven Richter, who works for a German engineering company, took photos of the parade and was interested in learning more about Falun Dafa.

“The music was beautiful and the costumes were beautiful,” he said. “From their expressions, you can see that they were fully engaged, and they wanted to express their own viewpoint, which I think is great. You also don’t see an event of this scale every day. I think it’s beautiful.”

“These Values Should Be Very Popular”

Gabriella from Italy saw the parade with friends. “A great variety,” she said. “Very impressive, especially the colors.”

Speaking about Falun Gong’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, she said, “They very important, because we have to express with our hearts, not just on our brains. You can feel the power of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance by using your heart, but it would be much harder relying solely on the brain.”

Elisabetta lives nearby and regularly sees all types of parades. About this one, she said, “Large scale, full of power.”

She had heard about Falun Dafa before and agreed with the principles of the spiritual practice, saying, “These values should be very popular. It would be great if they could become a regular part of people’s daily lives.”

As a person of faith, she expressed sympathy for the practitioners being persecuted in China. “These kind of activities [parades] are important. They give us an opportunity to understand what really happened,” she said. “I would like to send my best wishes to all kindhearted people.”

Help to End the Persecution Together

Passersby sign the petition calling for an end to the persecution in China. (Minghui.org)

During the event, people learned that Falun Dafa is practiced worldwide and also that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is persecuting it, including conducting state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting. A practitioner dressed in white held photos of some of the CCP’s victims.

Many people could not understand why the Falun Dafa is being persecuted and asked practitioners about it. Some read informational materials and signed the petition calling for an end to the human rights abuses.

Hau, a practitioner from Germany, had flyers in each tourist’s native language. She also pointed to an information board in different languages that explained the importance of signing the petition.

Maria José, a nutrition student from Colombia, and her family members signed the petition. This was the first time she had heard about Falun Dafa.

She said, “Freedom of belief is a fundamental right that every person should have. But they [the CCP] describe exercising these rights as crazy or use other means to stigmatize them. Those being persecuted can’t even meditate. I think this is brutal and unfair. Also, the idea of forced organ harvesting is incredibly cruel.

“Falun Gong practitioners are speaking up for a just cause peacefully—through music, dance, and a cultural demonstration—while also expressing their firm, uncompromising stance regarding the current situation in China.

“I think everything they have experienced is very unfair,” she said. “Signing the petition is important to do. I can express my support for them as well as my opposition to the situation in China.”

Thiziri Boukhalfa from Algeria is manager at a telecommunications company. She and her friend saw a banner that read, “One Signature Can Help Save Lives,” and stopped to learn more.

“We decided to also sign in support, because we oppose any form of violence or persecution,” she said. “I think that everybody should do a little something, even if it’s a very small thing, as this can help others live better lives.”

After seeing the exercise demonstration and speaking with practitioners, she said, “This looks really good. It can help relieve stress and probably help a person and everything around them become more peaceful.”

Talking about the event, she said, “I think it’s great. It’s a way to let more people know about this issue. It also allows those who are being persecuted to have a voice. Because here we have the safety and freedom to discuss these things, but they do not. So I think this kind of event can help us speak for them.”

A Practitioner: A Heartfelt Choice

Temperatures reached nearly 40 degrees celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) that afternoon. Among the practitioners who had gathered from several European countries was 19-year-old Sven from Croatia.

Sven, a bass drummer in the Tian Guo Marching Band, was in the front row of the parade. Despite carrying a heavy bass drum and dressed in a long-sleeved outfit in the heat, he was full of energy when he saw the enthusiastic spectators.

“When they saw and heard us, I could see that the passersby were truly happy, and they were videoing our band and the parade,” he said. “I could feel the people’s passionate nature.”

For the past three years, Sven has played with the European Tian Guo Marching Band in almost 10 countries. When his friends saw him traveling so frequently, they asked if he got paid. He told them, “This has nothing to do with money. This is about cultivating one’s heart and mind. I would not accept money for this at all.”