(Clearwisdom.net) On July 17, 2010, Falun Gong practitioners from Ireland held a parade and a rally in Dublin, calling for the end of the persecution. A former EU Parliament Member, human rights activists, and members of Amnesty International participated the event.

Practitioners re-enact the torture methods employed by the Chinese Communist regime

The rally

The rally

People sign petitions to support Falun Gong

Patricia McKenna, a former EU Parliament Member, gave a speech at the rally. She has been concerned about the persecution, and has been calling for help to stop the persecution.

Patricia McKenna

At the rally, Ms. McKenna emphasized that the international community should not keep silent on this issue. She said what the attendees are against is not the Chinese people, but the totalitarian regime and the international community's silence. She briefly listed some facts of the persecution, and called upon European governments and people to step out and exert pressure on the Chinese government.

Declan Lyons, a well-known psychologist and member of Amnesty International

Declan Lyons, a well-known psychologist and member of Amnesty International, pointed out that the persecution of Falun Gong is not only physical, but also mental. He said the Chinese government should open all the prisons for the international community to inspect.

He praised practitioners for their peaceful resistance against the persecution. He said we celebrate their courage, which cannot be overcome, and that we will continuously support them. We are fighting for freedom and justice in China, and we are also fighting for ourselves.

Zhao Ming

Falun Gong practitioner, Zhao Ming, recalled his own experience of being tortured in the prison. "I was jailed for one year and 10 months. I was badly beaten by policemen. They tied me up and beat me with electric batons," he said.

Zhao Ming also spoke about the spread of Falun Gong in China before the persecution. He said there were more than 400 practitioners on one of the exercise sites on the campus of Qinghua University, including professors, Ph.D. students, and staff. "All of them were arrested or jailed. One was tortured to death, one lost sanity due to torture, and one lost the ability to move. Our own experiences show the brutality of the persecution. It is evil, and the Chinese Communist Party has no excuse."

Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline for mind and body. The practice involves slow, gentle movements and meditation. It is easy to learn, enjoyable to practice, and free of charge. Its principles are based on Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The practice began in China in 1992 and quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China and then beyond. Its beneficial effects in uplifting an individual's physical, mental, and spiritual health, not to mention its positive influence in the community and society as a whole, have been undeniable. In fact, Falun Gong is practiced by over 100 million people in 60 countries. The main works of Falun Gong are available in over 30 languages.

On July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a brutal persecution of Falun Gong. Since the start of the persecution, Falun Gong practitioners throughout the world have been constantly speaking out about the truth of Falun Gong and exposing the CCP's crimes in a tireless effort to end the persecution.