(Clearwisdom.net) Practitioners marched in San Francisco to expose the Sujiatun Concentration Camp and call for an end of the persecution on April 1, 2006. They clarified the truth to the local people, especially those in Chinatown. The march exposed the CCP's barbaric crimes in Sujiatun Concentration Camp of harvesting organs from living practitioners for profit. While condemning the CCP's atrocities, the practitioners called for justice and conscience to bring the persecution to an end.
Celestial Band makes its first appearance in San Francisco's Chinatown
Chinese audience |
Exercise demonstration |
In the morning, Falun Gong practitioners arrived at the starting location. Some of them demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises and some got ready to march. When the Celestial Band from New York started playing, the music caught the attention of many passers-by and tourists, who accept truth-clarification literature to read. After learning about the inhuman crimes committed by the CCP's Sujiatun Concentration Camp, many people expressed their outrage.
Ms. Hong Zhang, one of the organizers, said that the march consisted of three themes. The first theme was to introduce Falun Gong. The second was to expose the CCP's brutal persecution during the last six plus years. The third theme was the practitioners' peaceful protest against the persecution, voicing their support for people quitting the CCP and calling on everyone to help stop the CCP's crimes.
At noon, the procession started and walked around Chinatown. The march ended at 1:30 p.m. on Union Square.
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The most eye-catching parts of the march were the Celestial Band, composed of more than 150 members in blue attire with the words "Falun Dafa" and cream-colored trousers, and a truth-clarification float and posters exposing the Sujiatun Concentration Camp. Passersby, tourists, and shoppers watched intently.
Garden Corner is the place where many older Chinese people gather and chat. Since the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong began, a majority of the Chinese here was deceived by the CCP's propaganda and had misunderstandings towards the practitioners. In recent years, practitioners in the Bay Area have held truth-clarification photo exhibitions, rallies, and other events, but a lot of these Chinese people either ignore it or reacted negatively.
Today, with the approach of the Celestial Band's music, the older Chinese people stood by the street to watch. Like other Chinese in Chinatown, many of them smiled toward us. A practitioner demonstrating the exercises on a float said, "I saw an older lady that we often met in Garden Corner. She never gave a position on the persecution. Today she smiled and held up her thumbs to encourage us."
When the procession passed by shopping centers, many patrons took photos. A western man thanked us enthusiastically for holding the event.
Dr. Alejandro Centurion is a neurological doctor working in Monterey. He said that he was shocked upon hearing that organs are harvested from living practitioners. He said that the U.S. and many other countries ban organ harvesting from prisoners. In the U.S., organ transplantation requires extensive checks and reviews. His mother had to wait for two years for a kidney transplant. He said that as a doctor, he cannot imagine how those surgeons can conduct such brutal surgery to remove organs from living people.
Another western gentleman said, "I know the Nazis' history. I think that anyone standing here would be shocked after seeing the photos and will help to stop the brutality."
Mr. Rutang Chen, director of Celestial Band from New Jersey, said, "The weather is very nice today. There were many people in Chinatown and many waited for the march before the arrival of our procession. Many of them were smiling. Our music transmits a strong signal: Falun Dafa is great. The CCP's persecution is wrong."
Mr. Chen said that his son was brutally tortured in China and rescued to the U.S. by overseas practitioners' continuous efforts. He thought that there were more similar camps in China. He said, "Let's call on everyone to oppose the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong."
After the march, some practitioners held a rally on Union Square and continued to collect signatures. The Celestial Band and some other practitioners went to the new Chinatown and conducted a second march to help more people know Falun Gong, expose the CCP's brutal persecution, and call for help to stop the persecution. The second march on the afternoon of the same day was also very successful in clarifying the truth.