(Minghui.org) Practitioners in Latvia set up a booth in Riga’s Old Town near the Freedom Monument on February 26, 2022. They demonstrated the exercises, introduced Falun Dafa to the public, and told them about the ongoing persecution in China by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Pre-dating Europe’s Middle Ages, Riga is the capital of Latvia. It is a major political, economic, cultural, educational, and business center in the Baltic region. Despite the bitterly cold winter weather many passersby stopped and talked with practitioners.

Practitioners held an information day in Riga, Latvia, on February 26, 2022

Exercise demonstration by practitioners in Riga’s Old Town.

When they learned how the CCP persecuted Falun Dafa practitioners since 1999 for their belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, many people were shocked and signed a petition calling to end the brutality.

Bruno (left), stopped to talk with a practitioner and asked for more information.

When Bruno noticed the booth he stopped and talked with a practitioner for a long time. He was surprised by the brutality in China especially organ harvesting from living practitioners.

“The persecution is wrong and what you are doing is very important,” he said. “It is important to inform the public of what is going on,” he added.

“We need more good people in the world,” Bruno explained, “Regardless of our religion, nationality, or race, first and foremost, we need to be people who are willing to make this world a better place.” He said that is not easy and it starts with every one of us.

He added, “It requires efforts to safeguard principles. But even under adverse conditions, we should still strive to be good people.” Upon leaving, Bruno thanked practitioners for their perseverance and wished them well.

Background: What is Falun Dafa?

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 learned the five gentle exercises, have experienced uplifted 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, issued an order to ban the practice.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 22 years. The actual number is believed to be much higher. More 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 the organ transplant industry.

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.