March 26, 2002

(Clearwisdom.net) After learning the news that over 5,000 Falun Gong practitioners have been arrested and dozens have been persecuted to death in Changchun in Jilin Province, China, the Western practitioners in Toronto immediately decided to hold a one-week round-the-clock relay hunger strike outside the constituency office of the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister, Bill Graham in Toronto. The action was to call on the Canadian government to urgently voice condemnation and call for an end to the atrocities in Changchun and to help rescue Falun Gong practitioners in Changchun and throughout the rest of China.

Their hunger strike began at 9:00 a.m., Monday, on March 25. The weather was extremely chilly that day and the fasting practitioners sat quietly on the sidewalk. Many other practitioners came to show their support, and they distributed truth-clarification materials to passers-by. People accepted the materials one after another.

In the afternoon of March 26, the assistant Foreign Affairs Minister met with these practitioners and talked with them for more than 10 minutes, saying that he was very concerned about this issue. The assistant also called the Minister and Amnesty International for reports on what is happening in Changchun, China. The Minister expressed his deep concern over this issue.

On March 25 and 26, journalists from Voice of America and Radio Free Asia came to interview the practitioners. Several other media interviewed practitioners on the phone.

What is worth noting is that a kindhearted person was very moved when he saw that practitioners were sitting in the freezing cold for a long time. He went to buy several down coats for practitioners to wear. Practitioners were all inspired by his kindness.

More Toronto practitioners came to the hunger strike location this afternoon, showing their support. Even though it was early spring, it was still windy and cold. However, on the spot, there was a 70-year-old granny who spent the cold night with the Western practitioners.

The urgent rescue is expanding to the entire Canadian society via various channels.