(Clearwisdom.net) In order to expose and stop the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) atrocities of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners, practitioners in Mid-West area of the US launched a five-day car tour on August 15, 2006. They traversed the states of Ohio and Kentucky and the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The car tour set off from Louisville, Kentucky, and finally arrived in Cleveland on the afternoon of August 18. They held press conferences in three main cities in Kentucky, 14 cities in Ohio and in Pittsburgh. They told local government officials about the CCP's atrocities of live organ harvesting and called on people to show concern and help stop the heinous crimes.
  Car tour holds a press conference in Cincinnati |
  Media in Lima, Ohio interview practitioners |
  A proclamation issued by the mayor of Cincinnati |
Kentucky police: "I'll tell my children about this."
The first stop of the car tour was Louisville, Kentucky. Practitioners from Kentucky and Indiana held a press conference in front of Metro Hall.
Dr. Hummer, who runs a clinic in Indiana, shared what she thought of the CCP's live organ harvesting as a doctor in her speech. She expressed that the live organ harvesting is against medical ethics; that it is actually murder. She called on more people from medical circles to stand up to condemn the atrocities.
Another member of the car tour, Mr. Zhang, is from Liaoning Province, China. He talked about his experience of being persecuted for practicing Falun Gong in mainland China. He was sentenced to one and a half years of forced labor for traveling to Beijing to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong. He was imprisoned in Beijing's Tuanhe Forced Labor Camp where he was brutally tortured. In winter, he was stripped naked, cold water was poured on him and he was then buried in the snow. Two hours later, he was frozen to the point of being dark blue and purple all over his body. He was forced to work 18 hours per day. Bad sanitary conditions in the forced labor camp resulted in his body being covered with scabies, too painful to bear. He was forced to wrap disposable chopsticks when his hands were running with pus. He said that the so-called "sanitary" chopsticks produced by forced labor camps actually are not sanitary at all.
A local police officer was moved by the car tour member's experience, and said that she would tell her children about this. She asked for materials from practitioners and said that she would give them to people working in the government. Two FBI staff members also came to the spot. They said they knew that Falun Gong practitioners in the United States were sometimes harassed by CCP special agents. They came here to make sure that practitioners were not harassed. A staff member gave his name card to the car tour practitioners and said the practitioners could contact him should they meet with some trouble.
Two groups in the car tour spread the truth widely
The car tour that set off on August 17 was divided into two routes. The East route set off from Lancaster, passing Columbus, the capital of Ohio and Newark, finally to arrive in Mansfield.
The other route set off from Toledo, a western city in Ohio, and passed through Findlay, and finally reached Lima in the afternoon.
On the way, Falun Gong practitioners spread the truth widely and gained support from many kind-hearted people. In Lancaster, a lawyer who is renowned locally came to learn the truth about Falun Gong and promised to show the truth clarification material to his older brother who is a judge. He also led the car tour members to the gate of the local newspaper office.
  Local artist helps hold the banner |
  Local man brings water for practitioners |
Prior to the press conference in Findley, practitioners took a rest at a small shop. When young shop assistant Philip learned that they were Falun Gong practitioners on their car tour, he told them his girlfriend in Washington DC once told him about thousands of Falun Gong practitioners holding a grand parade and appeal earlier this year. He was very glad that practitioners came to Findley, Ohio. Practitioners told Philip that they came to hold a press conference to help more people learn about the CCP's atrocities of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners, and they also invited him to attend the press conference.
Philip presented himself at the press conference. He showed sympathy for the persecuted Falun Gong practitioners in China. He went back to his shop and fetched water for practitioners. He shook hands with every practitioner and give each of them a bottle of water. He said he hoped more people in Ohio and in the United States would
Wide media coverage; people from all circles give support
  Interview at the press conference in Findlay |
 The mayor of Springfield meets with members of the car tour |
The media covered this activity extensively. The major media outlets, including local newspapers and TV stations, in most of cities we passed through, came to interview us at the press conferences. For example, the local newspaper City Beat in Cincinnati, Daily News in Dayton, Springfield News Sun in Springfield, major media outlets in Toledo, including the newspaper Toledo Blade and three local TV stations (ABC, FOX, NBC), the largest newspaper in Youngstown, Vindicator, and three local TV stations (NBC, FOX, ABC), The newspaper in Canton The Repository and the Akron Beacon Journal in Akron.
The car tour passed through many cities and gained people's attention. Government officials expressed their support.
On August 15, in Frankfort, the capital of Kentucky, Mayor William I. May Jr. issued a proclamation in favor of Falun Gong, and condemned CCP persecution of human rights. City councilor Kathy Cater came to the press conference and presented the mayor's proclamation to the practitioners.
On August 16, the Mayor of Cincinnati issued a proclamation and expressed his support for Falun Gong practitioners. He also proclaimed August 16 to be "Falun Dafa Day" in Cincinnati.
On the afternoon of August 16, the Mayor of Springfield met with members of the car tour, and expressed that he has been paying attention to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in mainland China. He also expressed that he will continue supporting Falun Gong practitioners' anti-persecution efforts.
Practitioners who participated in this car tour said that what they want to do is to expose the evil of the CCP until the whole world learns the truth and our voices of justice are heard.
Category: Rallies & Protests
