(Minghui.org) Romanian Falun Dafa practitioners participated in the Festival of Green Cities, the largest environmental sustainability event in Romania, on September 9, 2023. This year, the event was held in Brașov from September 2 to 10 and drew more than 30,000 attendees with a variety of cultural, artistic, and sporting experiences.
Waves of people passed the practitioners’ booth in the city’s historic center and watched the Falun Dafa exercises demonstration. Many people stopped to take flyers or chat with practitioners about the moral improvement aspects of the practice as well as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s persecution of practitioners in China since 1999.
After interacting with practitioners, many passersby condemned the brutality of the persecution and expressed their admiration for Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
“We Must Fight to Stop These Massacres”
The Falun Dafa booth in the historical center of Brașov on September 9. Ionuț Meșendorfean (second from left) and his friend take a photograph with practitioners.
The practitioners’ booth was surrounded by posters, roll-ups, and banners with information about Falun Dafa. A large banner depicting the persecution of Falun Dafa caught the attention of passersby and motivated them to ask about the situation. Once they learned about the inhumane things that the CCP does to persecute Falun Dafa practitioners—including forced organ harvesting—many signed the practitioners’ petition addressed to the Romanian government, asking it take action to end the persecution.
Two friends wanted to learn about the self-improvement aspects of the practice. When they learned that the CCP was torturing practitioners who just want to become better people, they signed the petition to the Romanian government right away. They also signed a second petition the practitioners had on hand that condemns the CCP for its numerous human rights abuses and crimes against humanity.
Ionuț Meșendorfean was pleased to know that his signature was taking a stand against such an evil regime that is abusing people’s basic rights.
“I want to sign the petition to end the communist party in China and make communism never exist again,” he said. “[The practitioners] have the right to express [themselves] in a free way, as do all people in this world. Communism forces you to do what you don’t want to and to do only what the state wants. You are morally free to think exactly what you want, and nobody can force you to say things you don’t want to say.”
Young people sign the petition to stop forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China.
Meșendorfean, 19 and from Brașov, graduated from vocational school. He wanted the international community to protect people who promote universally-respected moral values, such as Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance—especially when these people have been facing more than 20 years of persecution in China.
“I can't believe these things are happening. Let [the practitioners in China] take care not to get caught until the international community manages to stop forced organ harvesting. No one has the right to take what belongs to someone else, least of all the organs of people who have done no harm,” he said.
He also said that the practitioners’ perseverance in living by their values really inspired him greatly. “A person who believes in values like Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance is a very good, right-thinking person,” he said.
Rodica Leaua from Sfântu Gheorghe saw information about the persecution at the booth and wanted to lend a hand. She signed the petition to the Romanian government after she learned about the forced organ harvesting from practitioners in China. “In my view, the persecution is very painful and we must fight to stop these massacres,” she said.
Rodica Leaua signs the petition to stop forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China.
Public Support of Falun Dafa
Many at the event had good things to say about Falun Dafa when they learned that the practice can help improve a person’s character and help them become better people in their daily lives.
“[Falun Dafa] is a wonderful thing! It’s good that you’re pursuing this. We’re glad to hear that there is such a thing” one gentleman said.
Boricean Andra, 15, is from Întorsura Buzăului. She signed the petition to stop forced organ harvesting from practitioners in China so that they can continue to believe in “values that are very important to our development as people.” Andra had never heard of qigong before but said she was interested in learning more about it.
Andra (right) and her friend pose for a photo to support the Falun Gong practitioners in China.
Meșendorfean spoke with practitioners about the meditation aspect of Falun Dafa, something he believes could help young people control their emotions.
“Falun Dafa is very good for young people. They can see life differently and be calmer [through the practice],” he said. “Meditation is very good for people. It can bring them positive energy, change their daily lives, and make them more peaceful and respected.”
Leaua offered some thoughts on why she would practice Falun Dafa, believing that for her, “Qigong practice would be of great psychological help in providing solutions to painful problems.”
After hearing about the practice and the persecution for the first time, one woman asked for a leaflet with information in Hungarian.
A mother said, “It is very good that you point out the importance of moral values, so that as many people as possible will know moral values are being persecuted in China.”
Two girls show support for Falun Dafa in the historic center of Brașov.
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