Ukraine: Practitioners Hold Event in Kiev Calling for End to the Persecution

(Minghui.org) Joining the global efforts to expose the persecution, Falun Dafa practitioners from Kiev, Dnieper, Vinnitsa, and Konstantinovka held a rally in front of the municipal building in central Kiev to call for an end to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) brutal persecution of Falun Dafa on July 15, 2023.

The event on the popular Khreshchatyk street attracted many passersby. Practitioners did the Falun Dafa exercises, while a few practitioners were sitting quietly holding portraits of Chinese practitioners who died in the persecution. Many passersby, mostly young people, stopped to learn about the activity. Some of them learned the exercises during the event. Many people signed the petition to help end the persecution.

Practitioners held a rally in front of the municipal building on Kiev’s main street on July 15, 2023.

Practitioners demonstrate the exercises during the event in Kiev on July 15, 2023.

Passing out fliers about Falun Dafa and the persecution in China

Vladimir had only practiced Falun Dafa for a few months before the persecution began in 1999. Recalling his experience 24 years ago, he said, “People were confused and scared. Although I was not in China, I could feel this heavy atmosphere in the air.” Having practiced for more than 24 years, he has never stopped spreading the truth about the persecution of Falun Dafa and interacting with passersby to tell them the facts about the persecution.

Vladimir began practicing Falun Dafa before the persecution began.

Practitioners have demonstrated the exercises and distributed truth-clarifying materials on Khreshchatyk street for many years. Vladimir always shares with people how much he has benefited from practicing Falun Dafa so more people can benefit from the practice, especially when Ukraine is at war. “I want to help people calm down from the constant anxiety and endless stress in this very difficult time, and practicing Falun Dafa can help achieve that,” Vladimir said.

Olga, who’s been a physician for 25 years, tells people about Falun Dafa and the persecution. She said that practicing Falun Dafa has helped her overcome many serious chronic diseases. Olga has participated in activities to call for an end to the persecution for more than 20 years.

Olga has participated in activities to expose the persecution for more than 20 years..

Olga said, “I hope the world becomes kinder. The first time I went to the Chinese Consulate in Ukraine to clarify the truth about the persecution was in 2000. After that, I often went there with a friend after work, and held a sign with information about the persecution. In addition, we have practice sites in different parts of Kiev. Over the years, people have learned the exercises there and have learned about what is happening in China. We also went to other cities in Ukraine to promote the practice and tell people about the persecution in China.”

Some people asked Olga why she talked about things happening in faraway China. Olga said, “I am very happy when people ask me questions so that I can tell them that every good person wants the world to be a better place, and it is not right if these kind people are persecuted anywhere in the world. This is an attack on the universal values of human beings, and this applies to all human beings. Many people in Ukraine today understand this and support practitioners.”

Local Falun Gong practitioners held their first event in front of Kiev’s Chinese Embassy in 2000, calling for an end to the persecution. At that time, the Ukrainian authorities did not know what Falun Gong was, so they took the practitioners to the police station.

Throughout the following years, practitioners worked hard to tell the Ukrainian authorities and public security agencies about Falun Dafa and how the CCP persecutes the spiritual practice. Over the years since then, practitioners have been allowed to hold events freely throughout Ukraine.