(Clearwisdom.net) On December 18, over 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners and supporters rallied at Taipei’s Freedom Square to call for support to end the persecution in China.
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Around 9 a.m., at Freedom Square, practitioners started to display truth-clarifying banners and posters and distribute materials to tourists. At one corner of the square, practitioners set up a Falun Gong information tent, which attracted some Mainland Chinese tourists. At the main entrance of the square, a giant “China, Stop the Persecution of Falun Gong” banner was displayed. Some Mainlanders took photos of the banner, and some were happy to tell the practitioners that they had already quit the Chinese Communist Party or its affiliated organizations.
One young man told a practitioner: “I think there are probably more people who have quit the party. I know some people don’t dare tell others after they quit.” Seeing the practice scene of hundreds of practitioners, he commented: “We can not see this in China. You guys are very lucky.”
The press conference started at 1 p.m. Ching-Hsi Chang, chairperson of the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association, read a prepared statement:
“The Chinese Communist regime is responsible for countless atrocities. Just to name a couple, on January 23, 2001, it staged a self-immolation drama to slander Falun Gong; in 2006, two witnesses spoke out and said that the CCP was harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. This alleged charge was later confirmed by an independent investigation conducted by former Canadian MP David Kilgour and international human rights attorney David Matas. Mr. Kilgour called this atrocity ‘a new kind of evil that has never been seen on this Earth.’ Such an evil regime is doomed. We urge all Mainland Chinese people to face the evil nature of the regime and to join the 85 million Chinese people who have already quit the Communist Party and its affiliated organizations. Moreover, please step forward and help us end the persecution of Falun Gong.”
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At the rally, on behalf of the Human Rights Attorney Group for Falun Gong, attorney Wan-Chi Chu expressed the group’s respect to practitioners persecuted in China and human rights attorneys in China who are risking their lives to assist the group’s lawsuits against Communist Party officials. She said: “We will continue our effort and work with more groups to stop the persecution of Falun Gong.”
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Several practitioners reenacted the organ harvesting atrocity and police brutality against Falun Gong. Many spectators commented that the Communist Party was brutal.
Reenactment of organ harvesting |
After the rally, over 1,000 practitioners and supporters marched from the square to Taipei 101 (Taipei World Financial Center) and the parade attracted many spectators. Many expressed their support.
Seeing the practitioners of all ages holding banners and posters marching along the street, Mr. Zhen was deeply touched. “The parade is very peaceful, many are seniors and some are youngsters. However, it is so quiet. Just for this, I want to learn Falun Gong.”
Category: Rallies & Protests