Events Across Europe Mark 15-Year Peaceful Resistance to Persecution (Photos)

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Events Across Europe Mark 15-Year Peaceful Resistance to Persecution (Photos)

July 24, 2014 | By Minghui correspondents Zheng Qing in Austria and Shu Hui in Denmark

(Minghui.org) Fifteen years ago on July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a genocidal campaign against some 70 to 100 million Falun Gong practitioners in China—a campaign that continues unabated today.

To mark the practitioners' peaceful resistance against the persecution, Falun Gong practitioners in nine countries in Europe held a series of activities around July 20th.

The countries include Czech Republic, Austria, Romania, Italy, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, and Germany.

During the events, the practitioners informed people of the goodness of Falun Gong while raising awareness of the brutal persecution of Falun Gong, especially the CCP's systematic and state sanctioned forced organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners. They called for help to end this crime against humanity.

Practitioners also held candlelight vigils to honor those in China who lost their lives for upholding their faith amidst the 15-year brutal persecution by the CCP.

Paris, France

Falun Gong practitioners held a rally on July 20 in front of the Eiffel Tower to honor their fellow practitioners who lost their lives under persecution in China. Tourists watched practitioners demonstrate the Falun Gong exercises, read the informational display boards and signed a petition calling for an end to the CCP's state-sanctioned crime of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners.

A group exercise demonstration under the Eiffel Tower in France

Signing a petition calling for an end to the persecution

Tourists learn about Falun Gong under the Eiffel Tower

Chinese tourists take pictures of practitioners doing the exercises

Colette (2nd from left) an elementary school teacher and her friends sign the petition to show their support

Milan, Italy

Practitioners held activities on July 19-20, 2014 in downtown Milan to raise awareness about the persecution of Falun Gong by the CCP and call for its end.

Falun Gong practitioners sit in meditation in downtown Milan, Italy, peacefully protesting the persecution by the Chinese Communist regimeAn Italian woman signs a petition to oppose the CCP's persecution of Falun GongItalian people learn about Falun Gong from a practitionerA Chinese tourist reads information about the staged self-immolation incident on Tiananmen SquareCatholic nuns read flyers about Falun Gong

Vienna, Austria

Practitioners held a march on July 19, 2014 in Vienna, the capital of Austria to call for an end to the persecution by the CCP

Ms. Katharina Grieb, president of (ISHR/IGFM) spoke at the rally on Stephansplatz in Vienna

Ms. Katharina Grieb, president of the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR/IGFM) gave a speech at the rally. She stated that millions of Falun Gong practitioners who believe in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance have been brutally persecuted by the CCP. The persecution has even gone so far as harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners.

“Think about it,” Ms. Grieb said, “buying an organ in China means that a living person will be killed for his/her organ. The practitioners are like parts and components in a warehouse. We can't take such a persecution for granted.

“It is responsibility of each and every one of us to stand up to stop the brutal persecution,” she said. “The best weapon is a pen, each signature collected for the petition calling for an end to the persecution is like a peaceful gunshot.”

Practitioners held a march in the afternoon to further raise awareness about the atrocities in China.

Falun Gong procession marches through Graben Street in downtown ViennaPractitioners march through Hofburg Palace, the official residence of the Austrian President

The procession winds through major streets in ViennaPractitioners dressed in white holding practitioners' portraits to honor those who have lost their lives to uphold their faith during the 15-year persecution in China

Reenacting torture methods and forced organ harvesting from living practitioners in ChinaAfter the march, practitioners collected signatures on a petition calling for an end to the persecution.

The Hague, Netherlands

Tourists from around the world had an opportunity to learn about the persecution of Falun Gong in The Hague on July 20 during Falun Gong practitioners' activities marking the 15-year brutal persecution. They signed a petition to show their support for practitioners' efforts to bring the persecution to an end.

Doing the Falun Gong exercises on the square in front of The Hague International TribunalTourists sign a petition to call for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong

Copenhagen, Denmark

Practitioners in Denmark and Sweden held activities on the eve of July 20 in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark to raise awareness of the CCP's brutality in the 15-year persecution of Falun Gong.

http://www.minghui.org/mh/article_images/2014-7-21-minghui-falun-gong-denmark-01.jpgPractitioners set up display boards and demonstrate the Falun Gong exercisesSigning the petition to support practitioners' effort to end the persecution

Rovaniemi, Finland

Practitioners in northern Finland held a signature collection drive in downtown Rovaniemi to raise awareness about the CCP's heinous crime of forced organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners and to call for its end.

Baden-Baden, Germany

Practitioners in Baden-Baden, a city in southern Germany, held an Information Day on July 19 to expose the CCP's crime of forced organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners, and to call for an end to the persecution. Tourists and locals signed the petition to express their support.

People in Baden-Baden sign a petition to condemn the CCP's forced organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitionersA passerby learns the Falun Gong exercises

Prague, Czech Republic

Practitioners demonstrated the exercise at Old City Square in Prague, Czech on July 19, 2014

Reenactment of torture and forced organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners to expose the crimes taking place in China

A candlelight vigil at the Old Town Square in Prague to remember practitioners who lost their livest to the persecution

Bucharest, Romania

Practitioners in Romania held a peaceful protest in front of the Chinese Embassy in Bucharest on July 20 and collected signatures calling for an end to the Chinese regime's state-sanctioned crime of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners.

Collecting signatures in front of the Arc de TriomphePeaceful protest in front of the Chinese Embassy to call for an end to the 15-year persecution