(Minghui.org) July 20, 2021, marked 22 years that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has persecuted Falun Dafa. To call attention to the CCP's egregious human rights violations, practitioners across the world held rallies, marches and other events to help raise awareness and tell people that the persecution has not ended. They also held candlelight vigils to commemorate their fellow practitioners who died in the persecution. The candlelight illuminates the darkness, calls for people's conscience to awaken, and brings warmth and hope to the world.

United States of America

New York:

Candlelight vigil beside the Hudson River in New York.

Washington DC:

Over 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners held a candlelight vigil in front of the Washington Monument on July 16.

Los Angeles:

Candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles on July 18

Chicago:

Candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate in Chicago on July 10

Houston:

Candlelight vigil in Hermann Park in Houston, Texas on July 10

Canada

Vancouver:

Candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate in Vancouver on July 18

Toronto

Candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate in Toronto on July 15

Montreal:

Candlelight vigil on Place D’Armes, Montreal on July 18

New Zealand

Auckland:

Candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate in Auckland on July 20

Australia

Canberra:

Candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Embassy in Australia on July 19.

Background: What is Falun Dafa?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Millions of people have embraced the teachings—which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance as well as five gentle exercises—and experienced uplifted health and well-being.

Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline's growing popularity as a threat to the CCP's atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, issued an order to ban the practice.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 22 years. The actual number is believed to be much higher. More have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply the organ transplant industry.

Under Jiang's personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.