On the morning of April 18, 2006, the head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime and his entourage arrived in Seattle. In order to protest and condemn the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong, and demand an end to the persecution, Falun Gong practitioners unfurled banners at the places where Hu passed by, including intersections at the Boeing Airport, Fairmont Olympic Hotel, and the Microsoft Company. The banners included, "Bring Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Liu Jing and Zhou Yongkang to Justice," "Demand that the CIPFG be Allowed to Investigate China's Forced Labor Camps for Truth," "Strongly Condemn the Barbaric Atrocities of Harvesting Organs from Live Falun Gong Practitioners in China's Forced Labor Camps," "Urgently Call for an End to the CCP's Nazi-like Atrocities," and "Heaven will Eliminate the CCP."

Boeing Airport is located in Everett, north of Seattle. At around 11:00 a.m., Hu's group left the airport via the west side entrance instead of the front gate. They passed by the Falun Gong practitioners' protesting group. The practitioners shouted out loud, "Falun Dafa is Great," "Seriously Punish Jiang Zemin," "Heaven will Eliminate the CCP, Quit the CCP to Save Yourself," and "Stop Persecuting Falun Gong."

Falun Gong practitioner Su from Vancouver expressed that the protest was to let Hu know that the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong and the CCP's atrocity of having built concentration camps to harvest organs from live Falun Gong practitioners and cremating their bodies to destroy the evidence, are intolerable. At the same time, Falun Gong practitioners demanded that the CCP open all forced labor camps, prisons and hospitals where Falun Gong practitioners have been incarcerated, to allow the CIPFG to conduct a complete investigation into the persecution of Falun Gong and collect evidence.

Western Falun Gong practitioner Arron Nelson, who drove fifteen hours from San Francisco to Seattle to participate in the protest activities, expressed that it has been known to the public that Falun Gong practitioners have been persecuted in China. Hu must have learned about the facts. The persecution of Falun Gong must be stopped.

Immediately stop the atrocities of harvesting organs from live Falun Gong practitioners in forced labor camps and prisons

In downtown Seattle, outside the Fairmont Olympic Hotel where Hu's group would stay, before their arrival, a middle-aged Chinese person in a black jacket holding a mike, ordered some pro-communist people to hold bloody banners to stand on the road to try to block Falun Gong practitioners' banners. He was later stopped by the police and compelled to leave the site.

Some pro-communist people even knocked down a police bicycle, which prompted many more police officers to force them to leave the area where Falun Gong practitioners were holding banners, thus preventing them from making trouble.

Witnesses were very angry, and expressed that the Chinese people holding the bloody flags were too barbaric, and that it is completely unacceptable in America. This is a place of democracy and freedom.

Falun Gong practitioner Zhang Xuerong said that the American law protects freedom of speech. Currently, the brutal persecution and killing of Falun Gong practitioners are still happening in China, but under the CCP's tyrannical rule, Falun Gong practitioners in China have been completely silenced (unable to make their voice heard.) This time, as the head of the CCP comes to visit, it is time for him to learn about the Falun Gong practitioners' concerns. When those people tried to block Falun Gong practitioners, and prevent Hu from seeing the messages on the banners, they have violated American law.

At about 11:45 a.m. Hu's motorcade passed by in front of the protesting group. Many people sitting inside the cars looked at messages on the banners through the windows.

Seattle practitioner Pan Hui expressed that Falun Gong practitioners would continue their protest activities until Hu left. During the time, many Seattle people accepted Falun Gong truth clarification flyers and the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. They also learned that nearly 10 million Chinese people have quit the CCP. At the same time, many people signed the petition to support Falun Gong practitioners' efforts to stop the persecution.

At noon on April 18, 2006, the day before the head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was to arrive in Washington DC, Falun Gong practitioners held a grand parade along the main streets of Washington DC to expose the CCP's brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners during the past seven years. At the same time, they called on the international community to support and join in the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG), to go to China to investigate the atrocities, including torture and abuse of Falun Gong practitioners in the CCP's forced labor camps and prisons, and to help stop the persecution.

Setting off from Lafayette Park behind the White House, the parade proceeded along Pennsylvania Avenue to the US Congress. When it reached 6th Street, the parade procession turned north toward Chinatown. After traversing Chinatown, the procession returned to the starting point at Lafayette Park. The entire parade lasted for one hour and forty minutes. The procession was grand and vast, almost spanning the entire length of Pennsylvania Avenue, and was splendid and impressive.

Wearing white flowers in front of their chests, practitioners looked dignified. The parade procession was solemn and respectful. Walking at the front of the procession were practitioners holding banners reading "Falun Dafa is Great," and "Stop the Persecution--Call for Investigation of China's Forced Labor Camps and Prisons." Behind the banners were a huge wreath with the Chinese character "Nian" (means mourning) and dozens of practitioners in white suits, holding photos of Falun Gong practitioners who have died as a result of the persecution.

"The Celestial Band" came from New York to participate in the parade. One member of the marching band, Mr. Han said, "During the parade, I was moved to tears. Thinking of those Falun Gong practitioners who are suffering persecution in the CCP's forced labor camps and concentration camps, I'm very moved for being able to do something for them. Though the parade is long and tiring, I have used all my mental efforts to play (my musical instrument). I hope our trumpet sounds can awaken more people."

Ms. Ge, who works as an actuary in a DC governmental department was one of the coordinators of the parade. She said, "We hope the parade can help people learn how cruel the persecution is, and at the same time we hope the American government and the US Congress will support and join in the CIPFG, and urge the CCP to open all forced labor camps and prisons for international investigation."

As it happened to be noon break, many people working in nearby governmental departments and companies stopped on the roadside to watch the parade. When the parade procession marched to different sections of the parade route, practitioners would broadcast through a loudspeaker the introduction to Falun Gong and the persecution happening in China. At the same time, they broadcast the song, "Set Them Free" composed by a western Falun Gong practitioner, which recently won an award for lyric writing in a major international song contest.

Mr. Jadrool, who happened to pass by, had taken a flyer from Falun Gong practitioners before, and had some understanding of the persecution. But when he saw the reenactment of live organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners, and learned that the criminal acts are still taking place in forced labor camps and concentration camps, he was still stunned. He said, "It is simply the crime committed by the German Nazis during World War II. Any tyranny in history will collapse, without exception. The same with the CCP. It is only a matter of time."

When the parade procession passed by Chinatown, many Chinese people stopped to watch and accepted flyers from Falun Gong practitioners. Mr. Zhang, a young overseas Chinese, happened to pass by. He did not accept the flyer at first, and said he did not believe all this. But after having a conversation with Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Liu, and learning about the Falun Gong practitioners' tremendous sacrifice, he said, "Actually I know, the CCP can do anything evil."

After the parade was over, regarding the coming visit of Hu Jintao, Celestial Band member Mr. Han said, "He should cherish the opportunity for himself. So many Falun Gong practitioners have died as a result of the persecution. After so many years, he should have learned the truth. I hope he can discern goodness and evil, and choose a correct path for himself."

Many western media covered and reported on today's parade.

Five representatives of the first team of investigators for the "Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong" (CIPFG) from North America, Canada, Europe and Australia started their visa applications to China on April 19, 2006. They requested to enter the Mainland China to perform an investigation into the charges of illegal detention, torture and live organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners happening in concentration camps, forced labor camps, prisons and other facilities. On the morning of April 19, 2006 (Australian local time), Sound of Hope radio station reporter Linda Xu, as a member of the CIPFG investigation team, went to the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney to apply for a visa to China.

According to reports, followers of Jiang Zemin and Luo Gan's regime are hastily eliminating eyewitnesses and victims of underground concentration camps prior to May 1, 2006. Therefore, the investigation is very urgent.

"CIPFG" holds a press conference in front of the Chinese Consulate in Sydney

While Linda Xu went to apply for a visa, the CIPFG held a press conference in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney, announcing the purpose of the CIPFG and that the first team of investigators has begun applying for visas to prepare to enter China. Representatives from Sydney Falun Gong practitioners, the Global Mission to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners, Free China and some Sydney citizens attended the rally outside the Chinese Consulate, expressing their support to Linda Xu and protesting against the CCP's atrocities. Meanwhile, more than a dozen Australians held a 24-hour group hunger strike outside the Prime Minister's Office on Philip Street in downtown Sydney. They supported Linda Xu's brave act and called upon the Australian Prime Minister and government to pay attention to and help to stop the CCP's inhuman atrocities.

The event drew attention from several Chinese and English media in Australia. The ABC Radio station, the SBS TV station, NTD TV, The Epoch Times, 2SER TV and other media outlets interviewed the spokesperson for Falun Gong in Sydney, as well as the spokesperson for CIPFG.

Linda Xu applies for a visa at the "invitation" of the CCP's Ministry of Foreign Affairs but rejected by the Chinese Consulate

Linda Xu walks out of the Chinese Consulate and accepts interviews after visa application was rejected

The host of the press conference introduced that Linda Xu is a reporter at the Sound of Hope Radio Station focusing on human rights news in Mainland China. She had previously reported on the bird flu epidemic in Anhui Province and Northeast China, and the miserable situation of appealers whose houses have been dismantled in Shanghai. Her reports on Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhesheng have won high appraisal inside and outside of China. On March 28, at a press conference, Qin Gang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, denied the existence of concentration camps and invited members of the media to come to inspect places that are suspected of having built concentration camps. Even though the CCP didn't respond until three weeks after the Sujiatun incident was exposed, the Sound of Hope radio still responded to its challenge by dispatching reporter Linda Xu, as a member of the first team of investigators, to go to Mainland China to investigate and collect evidence in forced labor camps, prisons, hospitals and other facilities.

Ms. Xu said at the press conference, "We have found a lot of clues pointing to the harvesting of organs from living Falun Gong practitioners in the Mainland China. I'd like to fulfill my duty as a reporter to go to China and investigate and gain a clear understanding of the facts. So today, I formally submitted my application for a work visa to go to China for the investigation."

The CCP's "invitation" deceives the international community, other investigators will continue their visa applications

After her visa application was rejected, Linda Xu said, "The Chinese Consulate asked me to present the invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In fact, the "CIPFG" had sent a formal letter to notify the CCP's Foreign Ministry one day prior to my application. The letter stated that several reporters will simultaneously apply for visas in different countries. The invitation was simply for show. Qin Gang's words were only to deceive the international community."

Linda Xu expressed that she would not be discouraged and would continue making efforts in the investigation. At the same time, investigators from different countries would continue to apply for visas to go to China to investigate and collect evidence. She said that the Minghui websites gets over a hundred cases daily regarding the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners inside China, and it is a powerful investigative channel. She called upon the media, human rights organizations, the Red Cross and other organizations to join the CIPFG in the investigation, truly exposing the truth to the public. After the press conference, Mr. Yang Jun, former leader of the civil democratic movement, Ms. Su, Ambassador of Peace from the World Peace League and other attendees told reporters that they intended to join the CIPFG and hoped to get visas to go to China to investigate the atrocities in concentration camps.

Yang Jun: Seventeen years later, the CCP's killing is still going on

Former leader of the student movement supports the investigation

Ms. Kay Rebecca expressed that the CCP did not respond to reports of the Sujiatun atrocities until three weeks later, when it had enough time to remove the evidence. The CCP then invited the international media to come to investigate after removing evidence, a tactic reminiscent of the Nazis' ploy at the Theresienstadt concentration camp. As for the rejection of Linda Xu's visa application, Ms. Rebecca was not surprised. The CCP's Foreign Ministry was not making a sincere offer to have people conduct an independent investigation and was afraid of the truth being exposed further.

Representative of Free China Kelly Zhan expressed in her speech that at 8:00 a.m. this morning, over a dozen Sydney citizens started a 24-hour hunger strike at the entrance to the Prime Minister's Office. They hoped to convey a powerful message to the Prime Minister: We must immediately take action, and every minute of delay may be at the cost of lives of more innocent Falun Gong practitioners. The hunger strikers called upon Prime Minister Howard to immediately demand an open investigation into the CCP's atrocities and to convey the urgent appeal and concerns of the Australian citizens regarding this incident to American President George Bush, who is about to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao.