Hungarians Help Falun Dafa Practitioners Raise Awareness of the Persecution on the Anniversary of the April 25 Appeal

(Minghui.org) On a sunny afternoon in the Hungarian town of Keszthely, the city market was alive with sounds and aromas. Lured outdoors by the weather, people walked from vendor to vendor, exploring the local handicrafts and farm produce.

Next to the main entrance to the market stood a small, unassuming booth, a little different from the others. People paused to speak with the Falun Dafa practitioners volunteering at the booth and to sign their petition to help stop the persecution in China.

This was the work of Erzsébet, the manager of the city market. She had personally ensured that this booth had prime placement so that market-goers could hear what the Falun Dafa practitioners had to say.

“What these practitioners are doing is a sacred mission; they are good people,” she said. “The information conveyed through this event is very important to many local residents.”

Erzsébet was speaking about practitioners collecting signatures on their petition and raising awareness of the April 25 appeal that happened in Beijing 27 years ago.

The History of the Appeal

On April 25, 1999, approximately 10,000 Falun Dafa practitioners gathered in front of the National Appeals Office in Beijing after several dozen practitioners in Tianjin had been arrested for asking for corrections to an article published in a government-run magazine that attacked and slandered Falun Dafa.

The gathering in Beijing on April 25, 1999, was peaceful and orderly. Several practitioners were invited to meet with the then premier Zhu Rongji and members of his staff. That evening, the practitioners who had been arrested in Tianjin were released, and everyone who had gathered at the appeals office went home.

However, Jiang Zemin, the former leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), viewed the spiritual practice’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheist ideology, and on July 20, 1999, he issued an order to suppress Falun Dafa. The brutal persecution carried out by the CCP has continued in China to this day.

The April 25 peaceful appeal was the largest appeal by any religious group in China and is known for displaying the patience and resilience of practitioners in the face of unjust treatment. Every year since then, Falun Dafa practitioners around the world have organized similar events to raise awareness of the persecution that practitioners have faced in China for the past 27 years.

Commemorative Events in Hungary

This year, Falun Dafa practitioners held events in two cities in Zala County, Hungary, on April 24 and 25.

Local residents and tourists had the opportunity to learn about the benefits of practicing Falun Dafa and that the CCP continues to persecute it. Practitioners told people about the CCP’s organ harvesting from living practitioners to supply China’s transplant industry.

Hévíz

Passersby in the town of Hévíz show their support for Falun Gong on April 24, 2026.

On Friday, April 24, practitioners set up an information booth on Gr. Festetics György Square in the town of Hévíz. They displayed posters highlighting the 27-year-long persecution and handed out flyers to passersby. Practitioners demonstrated the easy-to-learn exercises that offer numerous health benefits.

The town of Hévíz is primarily known for its natural thermal lake, the largest in Europe. The town is an important center for the treatment of rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders. Many tourists from Hungary, Germany, Russia, and Austria visit this popular resort town.

In Hévíz on April 24, Marika and her husband read about the April 25 appeal.

Marika and her husband, who were visiting Hévíz, listened to a practitioner explain Falun Dafa and the persecution the CCP has been carrying out against it for 27 years.

Marika, who works as a teacher, said that she and her husband had never heard of Falun Dafa before, so they were unaware of the persecution. They were outraged by the CCP’s human rights violations, particularly the reports of forced organ harvesting. They both signed the petition calling for an end to the persecution.

Marika was impressed by Falun Dafa: “I’ve been searching for a long time for the path to fulfillment. Perhaps I’ve found it today.” They spent a long time reading the informational posters on display and wished the practitioners much success.

Zsolt tries the Falun Dafa exercises in Hévíz on April 24.

Zsolt came with his family to relax at a popular spa. He really enjoyed the exercise demonstration, so he joined in and followed along with the exercise movements. After doing the second standing exercise, he said, “I was completely overcome by this wonderful feeling—it’s really great. This is a fantastic exercise. I’ll definitely look up the links you gave me when I get home. I support you and wish you all the best.” He also signed the petition.

Three women in Hévíz on April 24 expressed their support for Falun Dafa.

Three women walking through the square stopped to hear about the persecution. They all signed the petition and thanked the practitioners for sharing Falun Dafa’s wonderful principles.

One of them said, “I am very grateful to you for emphasizing the values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, because, unfortunately, they are in short supply these days even though there is a great need for these qualities in today’s world, in this tense environment.”

Keszthely

Keszthely is the third-largest city in Zala County. It lies on the western shore of Lake Balaton, Central Europe’s largest lake, and is one of the region’s most important cultural, educational, and economic centers. It is often referred to as the “capital of Lake Balaton.”

Falun Dafa practitioners set up an information booth at the city market, a popular venue featuring a wide variety of handicrafts and products from local farmers, on Saturday, April 25.

Erzsébet, the manager in charge of the market who helped organize the practitioners’ booth location, said that she wanted to do what she could to assist the practitioners in getting help for their fellow practitioners in China. She signed the petition condemning the persecution.

On April 24, passersby stop by Falun Dafa practitioners’ booth in Keszthely.

Piroska, a supporter of Falun Dafa, was happy to see practitioners again in Keszthely on April 24.

Piroska, a retiree, was browsing the market when she saw the practitioners. She had seen and spoken to them before at an event in Budapest and was pleased to run into them again.

She was familiar with Falun Dafa and aware of the persecution and usually follows news about it online.

“I’m really glad I came here this morning, because I had the chance to see you all again. Falun Dafa is a wonderful practice. Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are truly beautiful values,” she said.

Since she hadn’t signed the petition before, she did so this time to show her support for the practitioners’ efforts to stop the persecution.