(Clearwisdom.net, May 5, 2004) With over 67,000 students, faculty, and staff members, the lunch-hour crowd on April 29, 2004 created quite a spectacle at the popular rally area at the University of Texas. At the top of a flight of stairs and overseeing the crowd below, Falun Gong practitioners unfurled two banners: one reading "Falun Dafa, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" and the other, "Bring Jiang to Justice."
The two banners attracted passersby to the photo exhibit. Many of them attentively read the descriptions of the brutality Falun Gong practitioners face in forced labor camps and prisons in China. Several of them kept shaking their heads in shock at the pictures of torture victims. Many already knew of the poor human rights records in China. "I know about their persecution of Christians as well," said one lady.
  Xiaodan Wang narrating plight of her farther during the persecution |
  Council member Daryl Slusher gives a speech in support of Falun Gong |
  Mr. Fong, member of World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, talks about slave labor in China |
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People are learning the truth
At noon, a series of speeches were presented by several persons, including:
- Xiaodan Wang, a student at UT, who talked about her father, Mr. Zhiwen Wang, his 16-year prison sentence, and the types of cruel mistreatment that her father has been subjected to.
- Mr. Daryl Slusher, a member of the Austin City Council, who said, "I want to work together with you for a world where human beings do not kill other human beings because of their religious beliefs or imprison other human beings because of spiritual or religious beliefs.... Today we undertake a small effort together, but combined with millions of people around the world we can eventually prevail."
- Mr. Fong, representing the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, talked about slave labor in China. Gasping sounds could be heard when Mr. Fong described in detail the horrific slave labor practices inside Chinese labor camps and revealed that the products were later exported to many countries around the world, including the United States.
Council Member Slusher and several spectators stood and watched the entire hour-long rally. Those who could not stay and watch approached practitioners for more information to take with them.
