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New York City: European Practitioners Clarify the Truth in Manhattan (Photos)

September 30, 2004 |  

(Clearwisdom.net)

High Resolution Picture

High Resolution Picture

High Resolution Picture

European practitioners clarifying the truth of Falun Gong on the streets of Manhattan

On 42nd--57th Streets

European practitioners clarified truth on 42nd Street last week. A woman practitioner who came from Manchester, UK said: "My first impression is that many people viewed our anti-torture exhibition with their mouths open, showing shocked expressions." A Swedish woman practitioner in her 20s said: "I felt that people here like to talk with us. They were very easy to communicate with when we told them the truth of the persecution." Several German practitioners walked along the streets with small posters and banners to reach more people. During peak traffic time when people got off work, they went to subway stations to distribute flyers.

On 32nd and 33rd Streets

Last weekend, Hong Kong, Singapore, some U.S. practitioners, and those of us from Europe were clarifying truth on 32nd and 33rd Streets. We divided into smaller groups, with each group taking care of one intersection, distributing flyers and telling people the facts about the persecution.

Later, a practitioner from Austria said: "The deepest impression came from words of an old gentleman from India. He said that he had been commuting between India and New York. He told us that he saw our energy field and that God was guiding our ship. 'You have done a good job,' the old man said."

Everyone going into or coming out subway stations can see our posters, and is offered a flyer. Some people who had obtained materials elsewhere asked us what Falun Gong was.

Though some morning subway lines were suspended due to heavy rain, we realized that we shouldn't be moved by this, and we continued to send righteous thoughts and stayed at our sites to reach every possible person.

On 86th Street, where U.S. practitioners were holding an anti-torture exhibition, I heard an ordinary person ask a New York practitioner: "Why didn't you guys come out before? Now you guys are everywhere. I can see your people everywhere. Why don't you contact the media and why don't they report..."

When we distributed flyers at subway stations, some people were very funny. Upon offering them flyers, they didn't take them. Later, when we came back, they asked for flyers. Some even asked for two copies to share with their friends. A black lady in her 40s was talking with a French practitioner for a long time. She was very concerned about the persecution situation and had many questions: For example, why don't we contact media, we should go back China to save our fellow practitioners, more people will support us if we hang on with what we are doing, etc.

After two weeks in New York, many people recognized us, and often greeted us kindly when we commuted between the apartment we resided in and a nearby subway station.

At the Entrance to UN Headquarters

On Monday, September 20, the annual UN General Assembly opened. Reporters from around the world all noticed our anti-torture exhibition, many of them stopped to watch. Some of us walked in pairs or solo with truth-clarifying posters, along the streets close to the UN to clarify truth and distribute flyers. Many members of the Chinese Photography Association took photos of us.

In front of the UN, our truth-clarifying posters were very eye-catching. During lunch breaks, representatives who come out to have lunch pass directly by our exhibition. In the afternoon, motorcades carrying heads of states pass by our sites. There was also a high-ranking official surrounded by many bodyguards who passed by our exhibition site.

A German practitioner from Berlin said: "My impression is that here it is very peaceful and quiet, and very suitable for clarifying the truth. There is no annoying noise and no commotion, everyone's demeanor is very gentle, and people who come out of UN usually walk slowly, with very few of them missing our exhibition.

A practitioner from Finland said: "My feeling is very good, much better than several days before. Here we clarified truth for hours, and some representatives even asked us to teach them the exercises after they listened to our truth clarification. Most UN representatives are willing to listen to us. Several days before, I clarified the truth to economists and politicians, and it was much harder."

A Swedish woman practitioner said: "After listening to our truth clarification inside the UN, people always provided us with some help. An African representative volunteered herself to show us around, and told us that she would be very happy to introduce us to her supervisor when we go back to visit again. A representative of Uzbekistan wanted a copy of the Investigation Report of the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG). We then gave him a copy. He was very pleased and said that he would read it thoroughly. Many representatives asked for the report, and there were also many people who sincerely wanted to learn Falun Gong exercises.

One reporter took many photos of practitioners who acted as torture victims and Chinese policemen...

The UN was heavily guarded, however, police officers on duty were all very friendly to us. Though they are not allowed to accept information from passersby while on duty, when practitioners who didn't know this rule offered flyers, they either thanked us or happily said good day to us.