Gothenburg, Sweden: Dignitaries Support Rally Held to Celebrate 400 Million People Who Have Withdrawn from the Chinese Communist Party

(Minghui.org) Practitioners held a rally at Gotaplatsen, Gothenburg, Sweden on November 5, 2022 to introduce Falun Dafa and celebrate the 400 million people who have withdrawn from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its youth organizations. Members of the European Union, former Member of the Swedish Parliament and representatives from human rights organizations attended the rally and sent congratulatory messages.

Many people were drawn to the event through eye catching banners, peaceful exercise demonstrations by practitioners and joyous waist drum performances.

Practitioners performed the Chinese waist drums at the rally held on November 5, 2022 at Gotaplatsen in Gothenburg.

Practitioners demonstrated the exercises during the event at Gotaplatsen Square.

Practitioner Sofia introduced Falun Dafa during the rally.

People were interested in learning about the persecution and stopped to talk with practitioners.

Passersby sign the petition calling for an end to the persecution.

Member of European Parliament Sends Letter of Support, Calls on United Efforts to Stop Organ Harvesting

David Lega, member of the European Parliament, sent a congratulatory message on the day of the rally. He expressed support for practitioners’ resistance against the persecution and he criticized the CCP for its crimes against humanity, including forced organ harvesting.

He said he spent a long time researching issues that people seldom pay attention to in the European Parliament. He and other members are pushing these initiatives: 1, Hold the CCP accountable for its crimes; 2, Establish an independent investigation team where members of the group are able to go to China freely to review the country’s organ transplant practices; 3, Urge the EU and its member countries to try their very best to stop citizens from going to China to trade in organs from unknown sources.

Mr. Lega said he would continue to safeguard humanity’s values. There are still many things to do and he hopes everyone can work together to stop the CCP’s forced organ harvesting.

Former Member of Swedish Parliament Attends the Rally to Express His Support

Hans Rothenberg, former member of the Swedish Parliament, attended the rally and gave a speech. He first congratulated the 400 million Chinese citizens who have quit the CCP and its youth organizations. He said in his speech: “Not only is the CCP suppressing innocent Falun Dafa practitioners, it is persecuting those with different opinions who are forced to say they have committed crimes. Furthermore this dictatorship has extended its arm to the world. Every country, everyone must think of what they can do.”

Hans Rothenberg, former member of the Swedish Parliament, spoke at the rally.

Mr. Rothenberg said, “Falun Gong practitioners’ resistance has told people, we cannot accept the CCP’s suppression! Organ harvesting, this is inconceivable! That is why we must face this issue. Society will return to peace in the future. There will be more interaction between Western and Asian countries. To make this a reality, everyone needs to work hard together to stop the CCP from continuing its crimes.”

He ended his speech by saying: “I hope the environment will improve next year, and that practitioners no longer have to expose the persecution.”

Human Rights Organization Calls on People to Pay Attention to Human Rights Violations in China

Peter, who represents the International Society for Human Rights Sweden (ISHR), spoke at the rally. He congratulated the courageous 400 million Chinese who have renounced the CCP, “This is a great thing, it is a sign that the CCP is collapsing. This will awaken more Chinese nationals.”

Peter, who represents the International Society for Human Rights Sweden (ISHR) said, “Swedish people should pay attention to human rights violations in China.”

“Many Westerners don’t understand. Why should Swedish people pay attention to human rights violations in China? It is because the CCP has been persecuting innocent people for a long time, illegally stealing organs from prisoners of conscience and selling them for huge profits. Students studying medicine in Sweden are sent to China to learn organ transplant procedures, this is committing a crime.”

Practitioner Describes How the CCP Tortures People

Benjamin, a Falun Dafa practitioner, spoke about the persecution he went through in China. “I was a doctor in Beijing. I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1996 and I benefited physically and mentally. I was arrested five times and sent to forced labor camps for refusing to give up the practice and for telling people the truth about the persecution. One cannot imagine the extent of the torture I went through.”

Benjamin spoke of the brutal persecution he endured in China for refusing to give up Falun Dafa.

Benjamin said, “I saw how Zhao Xin, a female young teacher who practiced Falun Dafa, was beaten while she was detained in the Haidian Detention Center. Her spine was fractured from the beatings. She became bedridden and lost the ability to speak. She passed away after several months of agony. Another young practitioner who was locked up in the same cell as me passed away soon after he was released. He was brainwashed and brutally tortured while in forced labor camp.

Benjamin ended his speech by saying, “Today, I stand here to expose the heinous crimes the CCP committed against kind people. I hope more people can see through the regime’s evil nature. Those who do bad deeds will be punished, this is a heavenly principle. The CCP will be punished by heaven.”

Calling on Chinese to Quit the Party

Ms. Chen. a representative of the Quit the CCP branch in Sweden, said in her speech, “The Quit the CCP movement is a sign that the regime’s collapse is imminent.”

She appealed to Chinese people to see what is happening and seize the opportunity to quit the CCP so as to choose a good future for themselves and their families.

People Agree with Falun Dafa’s Principles

There was an information booth at the rally where passersby could pick up all kinds of information about Falun Dafa. Practitioners Werner and Sofia explained to people what Falun Dafa is and about the ongoing persecution in China. Many people signed the petition after learning the truth. Several people learned the exercises.

Paullina, a psychologist, moved from Poland 18 months ago. A coworker told her about Falun Dafa before she moved, and said it was amazing. “I was immediately interested. However I forgot the name of the practice as I was busy. I felt a particularly strong energy field when I passed by the event today. I truly experienced that nothing can compare to Falun Dafa. I totally agree with Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.”

Soon after the rally started, she walked up to the information booth. Her eyes shone while practitioners told her Falun Dafa asks practitioners to follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance in their lives. She clasped Falun Dafa’s main book, Zhuan Falun while listening to practitioners. She smiled and exclaimed, “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance is certainly good, this is just what I am looking for! This book has a powerful energy.”

Paullina, a psychologist, wanted to learn more about Falun Dafa.

When she saw practitioners sit down and begin to meditate, she said, “I would like to give this a try. The energy field feels very strong.” She was given a mat and she then followed practitioners in doing the movements. She quietly meditated for nearly 40 minutes.

Before she left, she told practitioners, “I have been helping people to find a way to relax. In fact, I need something like that as well. I found Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance today. This is what I need.”

A Swedish woman in her 90s stopped in her tracks when she noticed the rally. She took photos of the event with her mobile phone before chatting with practitioners. She was pleased to learn the truth. “I meet with friends every Saturday at the music event across from here. I read your banners.” She said she wanted to show her friends the video recording she took of the rally and share with them the beauty of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.

An elderly Swedish woman told practitioners she plans to tell her friends how wonderful Falun Dafa is.

Background: What Is Falun Dafa and Why Is the CCP Persecuting It?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings, which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and have learned the five exercises, have experienced improved health and well-being.

Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, he issued an order to eradicate the practice.

Under Jiang’s personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 23 years. The actual number is believed to be much higher. Countless practitioners have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply China’s organ transplant industry.