On the afternoon of February 5, 2006, a Chinese New Year Parade took place in spectacular fashion in Chinatown, Washington DC, the capital of the USA. The parade featured elegant ladies in ancient costumes, Dragon and Lion dances, fireworks, martial arts performances, folk dance, twelve animals, Cartoon animals, bands, and children waving colorful flags riding on scooters. A huge five-story high firecracker thunderously echoed, spreading the festive joy of the Lunar New Year to every corner of Chinatown. Thousands of people packed the H Street Archway and both sides of neighboring streets in Chinatown.

Local Falun Gong practitioners have been taking part in the Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown for years. This year, besides the dragon dance, several dozen practitioners in golden outfits formed a waist drum group. Accompanied by the singing of "Falun Dafa is Great," they played the drums vigorously and in high spirits, gaining spectatorsloud acclaim and applause.

Falun Gong practitioner Dr. Huang Zhuwei, who participated in the dragon dance performance said that practitionersdragon dance group has participated in Chinatown抯 parade each year. This year, they were the only dragon in the parade procession. After past yearscontacts with the Chinese community, Falun Gong practitioners have gained the understanding of the local Chinese people, and their relationship is harmonious.

Falun Gong practitioner Su Jing has received awards for supporting the Chinese Association抯 Chinese New Year parade events in past years. The deputy chairman of the Chinese Association stated that early in the morning of each year抯 parade day, Su Jing and other Falun Gong practitioners would come to the spot to make a rainbow arch with bunches of balloons. A business would charge about $1,000 for making it, but Su Jing has offered the service free each year.

Su Jing said that in the past six years, though Falun Gong practitioners have endured unknown hardships and persecution, their original intention for the practice has never changed. "No matter where we appear in any corner of the world, our hearts are peaceful. Our only appeal is that the Chinese communist regime stop the persecution of Falun Gong. When seeing that more and more people have learned the truth and witnessed the beauty of Falun Dafa, we are gratified from the bottom of our hearts. We hope that all kind people in the world have a beautiful future."

Chairman Mr. Wang Zhenhua from Mei Jing Chinese Association said that as early as in 1999, he had got to know Falun Gong practitioners. "No matter what activities, either university activities or activities for older people, so long as we needed help, Falun Gong practitioners would go all out to help. They are a remarkable group, and I admire them."

Professor Nie Sen from Catholic University in Washington DC said that Falun Gong practitionersuncompromising courage in resisting the persecution, and their contributions to the Chinese community, have moved many overseas Chinese. They are respected as members of the mainstream Chinese community.

At noon on February 5, 2006, the Chinese community on Eighth Avenue in Brooklyn, New York became a hubbub of excited voices and thundering firecrackers. The community was celebrating the beginning of the New Year by holding its annual Chinese New Year parade. Falun Gong practitioners glowing with radiating vigor also participated in this parade for the first time after having broken through interference. They festively sang and danced to bring festival greetings and good wishes to the people in the community.

A banner reading "Celebrating New Spring" in Chinese conveyed practitioners' best wishes to the community, and seven celestial maidens danced elegantly behind the banner. The banner reading "Falun Dafa is Great" was brilliant and eye-catching, and the exercise demonstration group kept demonstrating the exercises and took the time in between exercises to wave to crowds of people on both sides of the street, greeting them with "Happy New Year!" The waist drum group glowed with vigor and energy. During the parade, sunshine dispelled dark clouds, and brilliantly shined upon Eighth Avenue.

Falun Gong practitioner Betty expressed that Falun Gong practitioners in this community had applied for permission from the organizer--the Eighth Avenue Chinese Association--to take part in the New Year parade every year, but the organizer rejected their applications with various excuses every year. "I believe real pressure and interference came from the Chinese Consulate. But in America where freedom and democracy are promoted, a non-profit group sponsored by money from taxpayers even rejected Chinese people in the community from taking part in celebrating the Chinese New Year parade. This is a routine tactic employed by the Chinese Communist Party's evil specter, as it attempts to use people's hard-earned money to restrict other people's rights. This is unacceptable in America."

Betty also expressed that while Falun Gong practitioners clarified the truth regarding the prohibition of their participating in the parade, a legal consultant from the Brooklyn District Councilor's office said that they would address how the association deals with the taxpayers' money. A representative from the city councilor's office and persons-in-charge of neighboring communities were surprised that the association would exclude other groups from taking part in the parade. The State Senator's assistant was indignant at the Chinese association's behavior. The police department also felt that it was incomprehensible.

Betty said that after having two to three hours of negotiations and truth clarification, at last an agreement was made with the Chinese association allowing Falun Gong to take part in the Chinese New Year parade this year.

Lively and colorful Falun Gong contingent in parade

Spectators excitedly watch Falun Gong practitioners

The Falun Gong contingent was warmly received by the community. During the rehearsal, many people took pictures of us. While in the parade, from time to time, one could hear people exclaim, "Falun Gong," "Falun Gong." Many people smiled and greeted Falun Gong practitioners. Many people videotaped and took pictures and read out words on the banners, "Celebrating New Spring," "Falun Dafa is Great," and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." Two westerners asked about learning the exercises.

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Dong said, "We are glad to be able to take part in the parade, and celebrate together with the Chinese people in the community the beginning of the New Year. Since the Chinese communist regime began persecuting Falun Gong, through Chinese embassies and consulates and media outside China, it has spread a lot of lies slandering Falun Gong, and has poisoned the minds of many people. The Chinese community has been deceived the worst. For nearly seven years, on most weekends Falun Gong practitioners came here to display truth clarification picture boards and spread the truth about Falun Gong. We display Falun Gong practitioners' peacefulness, compassion and rationality with our actions, and display the wonderfulness of Falun Dafa. All this has taken root in people's hearts. This year's parade, from people's responses, we can feel that they welcome and appreciate our participation. I hope this Chinese association can better understand the truth of Falun Gong, be free of the control of the Chinese Embassy, and better serve the community."

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Clenryn said, "I really feel sad for the Chinese Association for rejecting our participation in the New Year parades in previous years. They have been here for over a dozen years, and most of them are American citizens. They have been granted many funds from the government each year, but they could not truly respect the principles of life in American society. On the contrary, they applied the set of rules of the communist evil specter to this place. I believe the majority of Chinese people left their native places for freedom, but once these people came to the free land, they still restrain not only their own thoughts, but also other people's thoughts. I am also surprised at the Chinese Communist regime's degree of control over Chinese community in Brooklyn. I believe I'm obliged to report this situation to my administrators. I will not allow the Chinese Communist regime to carry out its persecution policy at the door of my home."

(Clearwisdom.net) On the morning of February 1, 2006, the Administration Court of Dresden, the state capital of Sachsen, Germany, ruled that the actions taken by the German police against a Falun Gong practitioner during former Chinese President Jiang Zemin's visit to Germany on April 11,2002 were illegal.

The incident occurred in Dresden on April 11, 2006, when Ms Wang Jing, a Falun Gong practitioner, was entering the hotel where Jiang Zemin would take dinner. Ms. Wang was stopped by two German police officers and asked to show identification documents. After her personal information was recorded by the police officers, she was ordered to leave. At the same time, while she was being interrogated by the police, many people passed by her without being interfered with by the police.

Subsequent to the incident, Ms. Wang made several attempts to establish direct negotiations with the police through Sachsen's Interior Affairs Department but failed. As a result, she filed a lawsuit in April 2003 against the actions of the Dresden police.

In the court session held on February 1st, 2006, the three judges handling the lawsuit adjudicated: (1) It was illegal of the police to ask Ms. Wang to present her identification documents; (2) it was illegal of the police to record Ms. Wang's personal information; and (3) it was illegal of the police to order Ms. Wang to leave. The written court decision will be released soon.

As the plaintiff, Ms. Wang indicated that she was pleased to learn of the court ruling. She said, "Four years ago, the German government and police officers surrendered to the pressure of the Chinese communist regime and violated the legal rights of a Falun Gong practitioner. By doing so, they have become accomplices in persecuting Falun Gong outside China. This is a shame to Germany, a country proud of its democracy and ruled by law. It has also damaged the foundation upon which this country was built. I am glad about this upright decision of the court. It is a strong signal to the German government and police that they shouldn't have submitted to the pressure of a foreign regime and abandoned their principles.

Ms. Wang's case is just one among many cases of police interference during Jiang's state visit to Germany in 2002. Similar incidents occurred in almost every city that he visited, including Berlin, Meissen, Goslar, Dresden and Potsdam. Falun Gong practitioners who took accommodation in the same hotel as Jiang were forced to vacate by German police under pressure from the Chinese communist regime. Practitioners wearing yellow jackets imprinted with "Falun Gong" were forbidden from entering certain areas. Vehicles showing Falun Gong stickers were stopped by the police for examination and some of them were detained for hours. Falun Gong practitionersbanners were grabbed and taken away by the police.

After these incidents, Falun Gong practitioners filed lawsuits against the corresponding interior affairs department and police department in each state. With the exception of Sachsen, Falun Gong practitioners have reached settlements with the government units in all of the states after court mediation. In addition to the interior affairs departments and the police departments of the involved states, the Federal Department of Interior Affairs has also issued public written apologies and promised that certain measures will be taken to ensure the infringement of Falun Gong practitionersrights will not occur again.

In addition to Ms. Wang's case, court sessions will be opened soon for two other cases which happened in Sachsen.

On January 25, 2006, the Council of Europe handed down a historical decision. For the first time, crimes committed by totalitarian communist regimes were looked at from the European point of view and condemned. The Swedish Delegate Göran Lindblad initiated this course of action. He told the German Epoch Times that his first line of action is geared mainly towards the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Seven million people already have quit the CCP and its end is near.

The passing of the resolution is a milestone in human history and establishes the basis to condemn and contain the crimes committed in the name of communism on an international level. Especially for Europe, a society where there are many countries that not so long ago had lived under communist rule, the adoption of the resolution with a vote of 99 to 42 is a clear break-through.

Falun Gong supports the PACE-Resolution outside the Council of Europe headquarters

While the Council of Europe held a debate on January 24 and 25, Falun Gong practitioners and opponents of communism were demonstrating in support of the PACE-Resolution outside the Council of Europe headquarters. About sixty Falun Gong practitioners from Switzerland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy had come to expose the human rights violations of Falun Gong practitioners in China by the CCP and offer support for the PACE-Resolution.

Support for the PACE-Resolution

Falun Gong practitioners also spoke with delegates, journalists and visitors about the persecution of Falun Gong and the crimes committed by China抯 Communist regime.

"In my opinion, the resolution is for Europe an extremely important decision and is going the right way," said Helmut, a seventy five year old German Falun Gong practitioner, who brought his wife along to take part in the protest activities, and who remained there despite the cold weather. "Every step that brings the end of the inhuman crimes committed by communists and the disclosure of the persecution nearer is definitely a step in the right direction and will have a beneficial effect on the countries and their respective citizens. We continue to hope that this trend will continue and that the cruel persecution of Falun Gong practitioners comes to an end soon."

Helmut, a person who is interested in spirituality, always had felt within him a deep dislike for communism: "I believe that the denial of any kind of higher powers can in the worst case scenario lead humans to persecute others, just as it is seen now in China. If there is no higher order, no feelings of responsibility exists. One has to take responsibility for crimes. One is made to believe that if one is not found out, one cannot be held responsible. This is far from the truth."

Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance Will Endure and Prevail

It has been six years since the beginning of the persecution of Falun Gong. During that time over 2,815 deaths by torture have been confirmed officially. The actual number is most likely in the tens of thousands. Tens of thousands are in slave labor camps, and prisons, where they are being tortured to force them to renounce Falun Gong. The communist regime could not imagine that the peaceful resistance, the courage and the unwavering perseverance of Falun Gong practitioners would be sustained over so many years.

Jiang Zemin, the former leader and state head alleged in 1999 that he would eliminate Falun Gong within three months. Yet, the popularity of Falun Gong has increased. More and more people see through the lies and the scheming by the Chinese Communist Party and are peacefully showing their resistance against the injustices.