Brussels, Belgium: On the Anniversary of the Persecution, Falun Gong Practitioners Hold Events to Raise Awareness

(Minghui.org) On July 17, 2021, Falun Gong practitioners held an event in the business district of Brussels, Belgium, to expose the 22-year persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).　

Falun Gong practitioners' event in the central business district of Brussels

The pandemic lockdown has just been lifted and people who have been confined to their homes in the past year are resuming their normal lives, which meant the business district was once again filled with pedestrians.

Many passersby were drawn to the peaceful Falun Gong exercises and stopped by the practitioners’ booth to get information on how to learn it. When they heard about the persecution of the peaceful meditation discipline in China, they also signed the petition in support of the practitioners.

“People Who Understand the Persecution Will Help Us to Stop It”

Wilfried Duchamps (first on right) talking to people about the persecution of Falun Gong

Wilfried Duchamps has been practicing Falun Gong for 15 years. He said that since the persecution started 22 years ago, Falun Gong practitioners around the world have worked together to expose it and the CCP’s evil nature. Many Western governments have now come forward to condemn the persecution, including Belgium and many others.

Duchamps said, “On June 12, 2020, the Belgian Federal Senate passed Resolution No. 7-162, condemning the CCP for continuing to harvest organs from prisoners of conscience, especially Falun Gong practitioners and Uyghurs.” He thinks that there are still many people who don’t understand the evil nature of the CCP and why it has been cruelly persecuting good people. He thinks it is important to persevere in clarifying the truth about persecution truth to people. Once people understand the truth, they will help stop the persecution.

Duchamps added, “Especially since the pandemic, people know better how the CCP lies. It is now easier for people to recognize the evil nature of the CCP, especially because they covered up the origin of the virus and allowed it to spread around the world. People now feel it is hurting not only good Chinese people but also people around the world. People can see the danger and the destruction that the CCP has brought to their lives.”

Public Support Falun Gong Against Persecution

Gary (right), a psychologist and counselor, speaking with practitioner Jessica (left)

Gary, a psychologist and counselor, received a flier at a Falun Gong event in Brussels several years ago. He downloaded the book Zhuan Falun (the main text of Falun Gong) and followed the online videos to learn the Falun Gong exercises.

He enjoys meditating and said, “I am a sensitive person and I can feel very strong energy when I meditate. I know there are people practicing Falun Gong in many countries around the world, and there are people I know who are interested in Falun Gong.”

Before he tried it himself, when he saw the pictures of practitioners being tortured in China, they struck fear into his heart and he simply could not understand why Falun Gong, which teaches Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, was being persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party. So when he saw Falun Gong activities before, he did not dare to go near them.

After he finished reading Zhuan Falun, he said, “I am no longer afraid. The persecution is wrong.” When he saw the Falun Gong booth this time, he was happy to go up and greet the practitioners. He studied their movements and thought that some of his own movements needed to be corrected. When he heard that there was a group exercise site on the weekends, he took note of the time and location and said he would join the group.

Not only does Gary wants to learn Falun Gong himself, but he also wants to find ways for his children to be physically and mentally healthy. As a psychologist, he asked if Falun Gong helped the mental health of children and how should he balance work and practice. A practitioner told him that practicing Falun Gong is good for children, too, and suggested that he read Zhuan Falun more and that he would find the answers in the book. He talked to the practitioner for a long time.

Aberkane Hicham signs the petition in support of Falun Gong.

Hicham, an IT student, expressed an interest in Falun Gong and asked many questions, such as, “What is the purpose of practicing Falun Gong? Is it possible to obtain inner peace?”

He wrote down the information for the group exercise site and signed the petition after he heard about the persecution. He also took several different booklets. He said he has a Chinese friend who’s mentioned meditation and qigong, and he wanted to take the information to him.

Michael, a technician for a French telecom company, signed the petition.

Mike, a telecom company technician, lives in Lille, France. He brought his two daughters to Brussels for the weekend. It was the first time he’d heard about the persecution of Falun Gong and he was shocked. He wanted to understand why the CCP would persecute Falun Gong and on what grounds the CCP could arrest and imprison its practitioners.

He said it was hard for him to comprehend why the CCP would persecute people who simply followed Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance to be better people. He repeatedly asked, “Does CCP persecute you because you want to become a better person?” When a practitioner explained what Falun Gong is and why the CCP wants to persecute practitioners, he said, “The CCP persecutes so many people who want to be good. It is too much, too much! It is shocking! The persecution is a very serious matter. It shouldn’t happen.” He took the material and said that he would read it carefully.

Emmanuelle, an artist who aspires to meditate, and Emily, who enjoys yoga, spent a lot of time at the Falun Gong booth. They asked questions about Falun Gong itself and about the persecution. The two were completely unaware of the persecution of Falun Gong in China and found it hard to believe. Emmanuelle was so shocked to hear about the live organ harvesting and exhibitions of Falun Gong practitioners’ bodies that it took her a while to close her mouth.

When they learned that Falun Gong practitioners abide by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, they understood that it is a Buddhist teaching. Emmanuelle said, “It's very good to have a discipline like Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance as a guide.” She and Emily agreed that they wanted to do something to stop the persecution, so they signed the petition.

They said they appreciated the practitioners hosting the events, because many media and social media don’t report on it due to the Chinese Communist Party’s economic influence.