Munich and Frankfurt, Germany: Commemorating the April 25 Appeal and Calling for an End to the Persecution

(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners held a peaceful protest in front of the Chinese Consulate in Munich, Germany on April 22 and 25 and in Frankfurt on April 23. They commemorated the April 25^th appeal and called for an end to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong. 

The CCP initiated the persecution on July 20, 1999, and it has lasted for 22 years. Falun Gong practitioners across the world tell people the facts about Falun Gong and raise awareness of the persecution peacefully and rationally. 

Falun Gong practitioners hold a peaceful protest in front of the Chinese Consulate in Munich.

A practitioner reads an open letter from the German Falun Dafa Information Center.

Passers-by sign the petition calling for an end to the persecution. 

Falun Gong practitioners hold a peaceful protest in front of the Chinese Consulate every week. It was a nice day in Munich on April 25. Many people walked or biked in the area. Practitioners distributed fliers. Some people signed the petition calling for an end to the persecution. 

Engineer Dirk Kissling and his daughter passed by on their bikes. He signed the petition calling for people's support for Falun Gong practitioners’ efforts in bringing an end to the persecution. 

Regarding the CCP’s state-sanctioned organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners for profit, Kissling said, “I have heard of it. I think the news is credible. Human society has no dignity. Of course, it is absolutely unacceptable. So we have to do something about it. A signature like this is just a small beginning, and everyone can contribute.”

Falun Gong practitioner Gang Chen, his mother and sister participated in the April 25 appeal 22 years ago. He recalled that the practitioners stood on the sidewalk near the government appeals office in Beijing. “Falun Gong practitioners quietly expressed their request, and showed no threat to the CCP.” 

“Falun Gong teaches Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. It can stabilize society, make people healthy, and benefits the authorities,” Chen said. “I thought at that time that whoever is in power should not persecute Falun Gong. I felt that the CCP would not be so stupid. But the persecution started soon after.” 

Twenty-two years have passed. Chen said, “The CCP fails to eliminate Falun Gong. But Falun Gong has gained an even bigger momentum. Kind people across the world support Falun Gong. Only righteous belief could keep it up so long.” 

Event in Frankfurt

Demonstrating the Falun Gong exercises outside the Chinese Consulate in Frankfurt on April 23.

Falun Gong practitioners held a peaceful protest in front of the Chinese Consulate in Frankfurt every week, year round. Since about two years ago, they have held the protest twice a week. 

Ms. Wai Liu, who participated in the original April 25 event, started practicing Falun Gong in China in 1995. She was incarcerated in the Beijing Women’s Forced Labor Camp in 2002 after her colleagues reported on her for practicing Falun Gong. 

During her 16-month incarceration, Ms. Liu suffered brainwashing, sleep and food deprivation, and was forced to sit on a tiny stool for extended periods of time. 

While being illegally detained, Ms. Liu was given five physical examinations without any reason given. She had blood tests and various detailed examinations of internal organs, which are not routine physical examinations in detention. 

Like other Falun Gong practitioners, Ms. Liu did not get the results of the medical examination. At that time, she didn’t know the reason. It was only after the CCP’s crime of organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners was revealed that she realized that she herself was in grave danger of being killed during the CCP’s organ harvesting.

She said as long as she has time, she joins the peaceful protest in front of the Chinese Consulate every week to call for stopping the CCP’s persecution.