(Clearwisdom.net) On May 10, 2008, Finland Falun Gong practitioners gathered beside the intersection of the main roads in Helsinki and displayed banners in Finnish reading "Falun Dafa Day" and "Falun Dafa is Good." To celebrate the ninth World Falun Dafa Day, they displayed a newly-made introduction poster about the worldwide spread of Falun Dafa, and a poster exposing the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong.
Falun Gong practitioners demonstrate the exercises
Stopping to learn about Falun Gong
Reading carefully to learn the facts about Falun Gong
Passersby inquire about Falun Gong and learn the facts about the persecution
Passersby ask about Falun Gong and learn the facts of the persecution
Passersby come to learn about the persecution
People line up to sign a petition calling for an end of the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong
On May 13, 1992, Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, first introduced Falun Dafa in China. Falun Dafa has since spread to more than eighty countries and regions around the world. May 13, "World Falun Dafa Day," has become a very special day, and Falun Gong practitioners around the world celebrate it and demonstrate the grace of Dafa to the world's people.
It is a nice time of year in Helsinki, and many people came out on the weekend to enjoy the abundant and gentle sunlight. The Falun Gong practitioners celebrated World Falun Dafa Day by practicing the graceful exercises, and distributing flyers and paper lotus flowers, which added harmony to this beautiful season.
A young Russian couple, after accepting a flyer in Russian from a practitioner, read the leaflet while crossing the road. Before long, they turned around and came back to ask the practitioner, "What is Falun Gong? What are you doing here?" Falun Gong practitioner Sveta explained to them, "Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese cultivation practice system. And we are here today to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day. This is a day of international significance. Many countries around the world are celebrating this day. However in China this activity cannot be held because the CCP persecutes the Falun Gong practitioners who believe in Truthfulness - Compassion - Tolerance." The couple asked some additional questions regarding the persecution, and Sveta answered each of them. After understanding the particulars, they signed the petition supporting Falun Gong.
Sveta said that a lot of people knew about Falun Gong and the persecution before they accepted the flyers. They wished practitioners good luck, and expressed their wishes to help the Falun Gong practitioners.
Mr. Silonsengard has been paying close attention to the persecution of Falun Gong.
Mr. Silonsengard is the CEO of a company, and came to know about Falun Gong through a newspaper article a few years ago. A Chinese friend later echoed some of the CCP's slanderous words against Falun Gong. He found these comments difficult to believe. Chinese practitioner Ms. Lu explained to him the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution happening in China. Ms. Lu also shared with him her own experience in the persecution. She was illegally arrested and sent to prison by the CCP. She also told him how the CCP has been spreading rumors and how the CCP defamed Falun Gong. After hearing these explanations, Mr. Silonsengard said, "I hope that China can become a free and democratic country, and I believe this day will not be too far away." He then signed the petition supporting Falun Gong.
A woman in a wheelchair came to the petition desk, and started talking to a Finnish practitioner named Anja. She said, "I live in the Sokos bar across the road, and I saw your activity from the window. I think it's great, and thought that I really would like to come here to talk to you. I've seen your activities in Helsinki five times, and I think it's just great." Afterwards she watched practitioners practicing the exercises for a long time, and even tried the hand gestures herself. Later she also signed the petition supporting Falun Gong.
A Finnish man and his mother came to the petition desk, and said to Anja, "My lower back experiences pain all the time, but when I stand here I feel very good. My lower back does not hurt right now." He spoke with Anja for a long time, and upon hearing about the brutal persecution in China, tears came to his eyes.
A female practitioner named Ms. Jiang saw a Chinese overseas student watching the activities from the side, so she went to talk with him. That student said to Ms. Jiang that after seeing the activities here, he felt very warm. He said that if there were people who accepted it, it must have something reasonable. Therefore he also wanted to come to learn more about it. After hearing Ms. Jiang's explanation of the facts about Falun Gong, he happily accepted the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and The Epoch Times, and also said he would quit the CCP Youth League and Young Pioneers.
Another person was a tourist from China. He looked at the poster for a long time, and even asked for some Chinese literature. He said to the practitioner, "I know all about it."
On that day many people stopped to look at the poster and the exercise demonstration, and asked about the persecution. Sometimes people in front of the petition table formed a line, waiting to sign the petition calling for an end of the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong.
