Oldenburg

Together with a gentleman from the IGFM (International Association for Human Rights) Falun Data practitioners from the northern German areas planned an event for Saturday, March 9, 2002. This event took place to protest Jiang Zemin's order to "shoot and kill" and "execute" Falun Gong practitioners. Prior to this date, there had never been any public [Falun Dafa] events in Oldenburg. It is my hometown. It was no problem to get time off from work and it did not take me very long to leave Berlin with another practitioner to travel to Oldenburg.

When we arrived on Saturday at 9:30 A.M. at the prearranged spot at the train station, we noticed that several German and Chinese practitioners from Hamburg, Bremen, Kassel, Hannover and Goettingen were already there. It was good to note that the practitioners from Berlin had also arrived. It is always reassuring to see how Dafa students are able to hurry to a place that needs support. Armed with Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, accompanied by soft Dafa music, the small troupe of 15-20 practitioners walked toward the Pedestrian Zone. The March sun warmed us during the whole event.

Around 10:00 A.M. the streets began to fill with shoppers and many people could see our banners "China terrorizes Falun Gong," (from IGFM) and "China: Stop the Execution Order, Stop the Shoot to Kill Order," and another one "Read Falun Gong." We could not overlook the consternation in people's faces. We sent forth righteous thoughts at three different locations and demonstrated the exercises. Many passers-by stopped and showed great interest. The newspapers we handed out were gratefully received and occasionally a pedestrian ran toward us and said, "I want one, too." A little further away from the Pedestrian Zone we encountered bicyclists who snatched the newspapers from our hands; some got off their bikes and wanted to know more about Falun Gong and the situation in China and why this "shoot to kill" edict had been proclaimed. When we told them the truth, they became more and more serious, showed concern and could not believe it! Several spoke with us for a long time and asked many questions.

When it was my turn to distribute the newspapers I looked over toward the meditating practitioners. I experienced such an energy of humility, strength and harmony that it left me deeply touched and grateful to be allowed to be a Dafa particle.

(Original text in German)

Category: Rallies & Protests