World Journal reported from Boston on November 3, 2001 that worldwide Falun Gong practitioners initiated an Urgent RescueWalk to evoke people's attentions to the inhuman persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in China. Two weeks ago, four practitioners from Massachusetts started walking from Boston and walked to Pittsfield in west Massachusetts. These practitioners and other practitioners from Europe participated in a press conference in the Marriott Hotel to explain the walk and its goals. One practitioner from Boston delivered a speech and said that many local people voiced their support on the way of the ResecueWalk, and that many expressed their respect after learning the aim of the ResecueWalk. The Mayor of the City of Springfield, Massachusetts told the practitioners during his welcome speech that the City of Springfield will proclaim Falun Dafa week of December 21 through 27, 2001.
Caption: The six Falun Gong practitioners in the press conference who participated in the Urgent RescueWalk (Photographed by Yang Yuqing)
A practitioner who walked through Iceland, France and other countries said that local media on the way all reported the UrgentWalk thoroughly. Many city or town leaders and residents welcomed them warmly and some stores provided water and food. The support was really moving. A practitioner who walked through Eastern Europe said that the support from government officials and local people helped her move forward and that she was pleased to have the chance to have more people know the truth of the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in China. Besides having the practitioners narrate their personal experiences, the host also showed a short video of the four practitioners from Massachusetts walking on the way and pictures of the tortured and injured Falun Gong practitioners from different provinces in China. They hoped that all people across the world, news media, and governments could pay attention to the matter and help those Falun Gong practitioners being tortured in China.
