(Minghui.org) Over 1,000 Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) practitioners from the greater New York area held a grand parade in the second largest Chinatown in the U.S – Flushing, New York, on Saturday April 19, 2025. The activity commemorated the 26^th anniversary of the peaceful appeal at Zhongnanhai by 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners on April 25, 1999. The parade also congratulated the 445 million Chinese who have quit the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliated organizations.

At 12 noon, with the Tian Guo Marching Band taking the lead, practitioners marched onto Main Street, Flushing. The band’s performance moved spectators. One person exclaimed, “Just one word, great!” Another said, “Falun Dafa is amazing!” Other comments included, “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance brings hope!” and, “I cannot stop crying, they are so moving, I feel proud for them. You must show the world the persecution that is still happening, and it must stop.” “Hope for China lies with Falun Gong.”

On April 25, 1999, 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners gathered at China’s appeals office near Zhongnanhai in Beijing to peacefully request a legal environment to practice their belief and publish Falun Gong books. They also asked that practitioners in Tianjin who were arrested for clarifying the facts after an article defaming Falun Gong was published in a local newspaper, be released. Practitioners calmly and rationally reported the problem to the government and asked for their constitutional right to practice their belief.

The practitioners were orderly, and before they left, they cleaned up the place, even picking up cigarette butts thrown on the ground by police officers. This was subsequently called, “The largest and most rational appeal” since the CCP came into power.

Every year, Falun Gong practitioners hold a grand parade in Flushing to remember this magnificent event – the April 25, 1999 Peaceful Appeal.

1,000 Falun Gong practitioners, both Western and Asian, gathered in Flushing for a grand parade to mark the 26^th anniversary of the April 25 peaceful protest on April 19, 2025.

Eye Witness Recalls April 25 Appeal

Wang Bingzeng, a former lecturer at Hebei University of Technology, moved overseas last year. Today was the first time he attended a parade marking April 25. Twenty six years ago on April 25, in the early hours of the morning, Wang, who was a voluntary assistant, rushed to catch a train to Beijing because he heard the day before that practitioners in Tianjin had been arrested. He decided to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong.

The train ride was over an hour long and he arrived in Beijing at 9 a.m. He walked to the appeals office on Fuyou Street. “As it was still early when I arrived, there were not many practitioners there, but later on more practitioners arrived. We stood on the footpath, we were silent. No one shouted slogans. It was orderly, no one walked around, and some of us did not eat anything. We did not drink as well, to avoid having to use the toilet. We simply stood there quietly. The police officers chatted among themselves.

“We later learned that several practitioner representatives had gone in to meet with then-premier Zhu Rongji, who agreed with several requests raised. People left after hearing the results of the meeting. I went straight to the train station and returned home that day.”

Today, 26 years later, Wang stood with practitioners once again, telling people the facts about the appeal and standing up for Falun Gong.

Western Practitioner Begins to Practice Falun Gong After the April 25 Incident

The name Falun Gong and its adherents caught the world’s attention as a result of the April 25 appeal. Many Westerners heard about Falun Gong through the peaceful protest. One of them was Liam O’Neill, who was a university student at that time. Soon after, he began to practice Falun Dafa.

He said, “I was deeply fascinated. I wanted to find out more about Falun Gong. The persecution then started on July 20. I thought that if such an evil organization as the CCP was persecuting Falun Gong, then it must be what I was looking for.”

He said that practicing Falun Gong has helped him overcome stress, anxiety, and depression, and has pointed out the way for him in life. “Falun Gong truly changed my life. It made my life better. From 26 years ago to today, the message from Falun Gong has never changed. Let us freely put into practice this cultivation based on Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance, stop persecuting us – this is our message, we never changed at all.”

Everything Falun Gong Practitioners Say is True

Wei Libin, a democracy activist said that the April 25 peaceful protest has great significance, “Because Chinese people have been severely brainwashed, they don’t know the truth about Falun Gong at all, therefore it’s important to let them know what Falun Gong is. I am extremely sympathetic of victims of the persecution. April 25 is meaningful because it brought the world together to stand up and speak out for Falun Gong as well as victims of the persecution.”

Ms. Chen watched the parade and said she agrees with Falun Dafa’s principles – Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance, “I think this phrase they said is excellent, that is there is only hope if people’s moral values improve. I must listen to this. The parade is impressive, I feel very proud.”

Ms. Chen from China now lives in New York and said she was excited to see the Falun Dafa practitioners’ parade.

This was the first time Mr. Pi, a tourist from Hefei, China, had seen such a large Falun Dafa parade overseas. He was delighted to see how free things are in the U.S. Ms. Wang, on a business trip from Harbin, saw the parade with a smile on her face. She said, “Very grand! It moves people.” Mr. Chen, another spectator, said pointing at his heart, “Falun Gong practitioners have put in a lot of effort. All of them are kind. People with high moral values are good.”

Mr. Lin from Fujian approached practitioners to quit the CCP. Through personal experience, he said he discovered that, “Everything that Falun Gong practitioners said is true.” He said he’s interested in learning how to practice Falun Gong. “I think the most important thing is you truly believe from within your heart—it’s also good for your body and spirit.”

Many young people who came from China recently and only learned the facts about Falun Dafa while they were in America joined in the parade and carried the banner “We resolutely support Falun Gong.”

One of them, Mr. Zhao said, “I think Falun Gong practitioners are kind. I came here today to support Falun Gong.”

We Support Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance

Ibetta Ponte, an office manager at a pediatric office in Queens, stopped and watched the parade. As she recorded it she wiped tears from her face, and said, “I’m so moved, I can’t describe how I feel.” She explained that she was deeply moved by the practitioners’ strong conviction, “They suffered so much for their religious faith, it’s terrible. They touched me deeply.”

Ibetta thought practitioners’ efforts to expose the persecution, “Bring us together, because everyone in this world is the same. I’m delighted by everything they do, informing the world what is happening. I’m so grateful that I can’t stop crying, I am moved yet happy.”

She wants to say to all practitioners, “All of you are my heroes, I thank you because you showed us everything. You’re amazing and selfless! We’re free to express our voices here and have the right to choose our religious belief. This parade touched me deeply, therefore I clap for you!”

Samuel Ortiz, chairman of the Puerto Rico leaders association in Queens, said after seeing the principles of Falun Dafa – Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance on the banner, “Compassion is the key to everything, understanding and love as well as respect for everyone is very important.”

“I heard of the persecution. It’s shocking. We should combine all our power and bring the persecutors to justice. Our goal is to unite everyone, find something we can do together in order to make humanity better, and bring goodness to the world. This is the reason I’m here today.”

Alexander Caruso, candidate for New York City Council District 19, said he supported Falun Gong practitioners, “The CCP’s suppression of people is terrible.” He also said he agrees with Falun Gong’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance. “I would like to teach students these principles every day.”

Alexander Caruso, candidate for New York City Council District 19, came to see the parade.

Martha Flores-Vazquez, democratic district leader of the 40th state assembly, kept filming the parade. She said to practitioners that it was the first time she did not cry while watching the parade. “It is because the sun is shining on us, we are still standing!”

Martha Flores-Vazquez, democratic district leader of the 40th state assembly, came to see the parade.

She said she thought that commemorating April 25 had great significance, “The significance of this lies in they (the CCP) cannot stop anyone. We say on behalf of those who are no longer beside us, that this persecution must end. We will absolutely not tolerate this!”