London, UK: Parade in City Center and Press Conference Held to Mark the April 25 Appeal

(Minghui.org) Practitioners held a parade in central London on April 20, 2024 to commemorate the 25^th Anniversary of the April 25th Appeal. They introduced Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) and protested the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution. The march passed through London’s business area and Chinatown and ended across the street from the Prime Minister’s Office. A press conference was held afterward.

Practitioners paraded in central London.

Support Letters from Governmental Officials

Thirteen offices and officials, including the British Prime Minister’s Office, the Scottish First Minister’s Office, members of Parliament, members of Scottish Parliament, and members of the House of Lords, sent letters in support of Falun Gong practitioners in advance and wished the event a success.

Press conference and event to raise awareness held near the Prime Minister’s Office

Two human rights activists - Benedict Rogers, deputy chairman of the British Conservative Party Human Rights Committee, and Simon Cheng, founder of Hongkongers in Britain and former employee of the British Consulate General in Hong Kong, attended the press conference and gave speeches.

A practitioner reads the support letters from UK officials.

Practitioners read letters from UK officials. The letter from the Office of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reads, “The government remains deeply concerned about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and others on the grounds of their religion or beliefs in China, and there is credible evidence to suggest that Falun Gong practitioners are subjected to serious mistreatment. The freedom to practice, change, or share one’s faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy.”

Benedict Rogers, deputy chairman of the British Conservative Party Human Rights Committee, addressed the rally.

Mr. Rogers said, “Those values of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance are not solely Falun Gong values. They are universal values. Many thousands have been persecuted, jailed, discriminated against, tortured, or killed. And of course they have suffered the crime against humanity of forced organ harvesting. We all should be reminded: anyone dealing with the Chinese state should know that they are dealing with a criminal state.”

“I stand with you all. And I stand with you for Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.”

I Stand in Solidarity With You

Simon Cheng, founder of Hongkongers in Britain, and former employee of the British Consulate General in Hong Kong

Mr. Cheng said, “Twenty-five years ago, amidst the bustling streets of a bustling city, a group of individuals embarked on a journey that would forever alter the course of history. With unwavering courage and a steadfast commitment to their beliefs, they stood in peaceful protest, demanding nothing more than the right to practice their faith without fear of persecution or reprisal.

“Their actions were not borne out of a desire for confrontation, but rather out of a profound sense of duty—to themselves, to their fellow practitioners, and to future generations.”

“For as we gather here today, we do so not merely to commemorate an event of the past, but to reaffirm our commitment to the timeless principles that guided those brave souls all those years ago. Principles such as truth, compassion, and forbearance, which transcend the boundaries of culture, creed, and ideology, binding us together as members of the human family.”

“In China, Falun Gong practitioners are subjected to persecution on a scale that defies comprehension. They are arbitrarily detained, tortured, and even killed simply for daring to assert their right to conscience. And yet, despite the unimaginable hardships they endure, they remain steadfast in their commitment to their principles, refusing to be cowed by the forces arrayed against them.”

John Dee, chair of European Friends of Falun Gong, addressed the rally.

Mr. John Dee, chair of European Friends of Falun Gong, said, “For many years, it (the CCP) has not affected or reduced the positive effects Falun Dafa has had on the world, thanks to the unwavering fortitude of those who have suffered year in and year out. We also believe that the persecution will soon come to an end. We know that ‘one good will overcome a hundred evils’ and this will surely come to pass in the case of the CCP’s evil persecution.”

Public Support

Many people watched the parade, took photos, and accepted fliers.

Alex and his friend

Alex and his friend are financial consultants and work at a large company. When they passed the Prime Minister’s Office, they said that the activities held by the practitioners were eye-catching, and they wanted to know more about Falun Gong.

When they learned that practitioners have been peacefully protesting the persecution for 25 years to safeguard their right to practice Falun Gong and freedom of belief, they immediately signed the petition. Alex said, “I admire your perseverance in defending human rights.”

He said that practitioners were friendly, handing out fliers to passersby and encouraging people to attend free exercise classes. He emphasized, “Mental health is important. You have done a good job in inspiring people to be happy, which has brought significant benefits to British society.” He thanked the practitioners for letting them know about Falun Dafa and the persecution.

Jessica and Deborah

Jessica, who works in marketing, said that this event was a peaceful protest, and that everyone came out to oppose the persecution and did a good job.

Her friend Deborah said, “Falun Gong has correct guiding principles. Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are peaceful concepts. Those who have such beliefs must be noble people.” She said she felt sorry that the CCP persecutes this group of kind-hearted people. She said that it would be really unfortunate if her children lived under such a regime, because there was no freedom or dignity, people were enslaved by the CCP, and their organs were forcibly harvested and sold for money. They said they would share the information with their friends.

Dr. Mohammed Shanasup works in the kidney transplant unit at Hammersmith Hospital in London. He said that there are two systems for kidney transplantation in the UK. One is a living donation. In this case, the donor must be related to the patient. He must be a friend or family member and must complete the match and all legal formalities. The other is that if a person dies, the hospital has complete central data and decides whether to get a matching kidney. Patients typically have to wait at least three years, or more.

He said, “In China, the organs of healthy people are forcibly and illegally harvested, and then they are killed. This is very barbaric and unfortunate! This kind of grabbing people and harvesting their organs sounds like walking into a grocery store to get them. People with influence must step in to stop (the CCP’s live) organ harvesting.”

For nearly a quarter of a century, Falun Gong practitioners have tenaciously and peacefully resisted the CCP’s brutal persecution. Although the persecution continues, the world is also quietly changing, and more and more people are learning about the brutality. The whole-day event gave people an opportunity to learn about Falun Dafa, and awakened more people’s conscience for justice.

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. Its teachings are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings and 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. 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 that has the power to override the police and judicial systems. Its 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 24 years. However, the actual number is believed to be much higher, due to the difficulty in getting information out of China. 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.