(Minghui.org) Around 1000 Falun Gong practitioners from the central part of Taiwan and surrounding areas, including Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli, held a rally and parade at Huilai Forest Gardens on April 27, 2024. The parade and rally were held to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the April 25 Appeal and to mark 430 million withdrawals from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations.

At around 3 pm, a parade led by the Tian Guo Marching Band started from Huilai Forest Gardens. The parade had four sections: the introduction of Falun Dafa around the world, the unjust persecution, quitting the CCP, and stopping the persecution of Falun Gong. The parade marched past busy areas, including the Taichung city government office and Wenxin Road. 

Practitioners held a grand parade in Taichung to mark the 25^th anniversary of the April 25 appeal.

Many pedestrians waved and expressed support for Falun Gong practitioners. Several people said that Chinese citizens had made a wise decision to withdraw from the CCP, while others said they were surprised by how grand the parade was. For some, it was the first time they had seen such a large event.

At the starting point of the parade, at Huilai Forest Gardens, practitioners displayed poster boards explaining what Falun Dafa is and how practitioners are persecuted in China. People could learn the five sets of exercises on the spot and some people asked for more information about the practice.

A practitioner guided a passerby through a series of displays explaining what Falun Gong is.

April 25 Moral Monument

On April 25, 1999, an estimated 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners from all over China spontaneously went to Beijing to appeal for the right to practice their belief. The whole process was peaceful and rational. No one shouted slogans and there was no violence. After the incident was resolved, practitioners departed and there was not a scrap of paper or rubbish on the ground. The appeal was subsequently praised internationally as “the most peaceful, large-scale protest in Chinese history,” and as “a moral monument.” Every year, practitioners around the world commemorate this appeal.

Passersby take fliers from practitioners and ask them about Falun Gong.

Many Taiwan residents learned about Falun Gong in 1999 through media reports about the April 25 appeal. The practice was subsequently welcomed and recommended by the Taiwan Government and people from all walks of life. However, on the other side of the Strait, the CCP launched a brutal campaign of persecution to suppress Falun Gong in 1999 that continues to this day. Practitioners in Taiwan have been calling on people to help stop the human rights atrocities in China, including the CCP-sanctioned forced organ harvesting.

Taiwan Citizens Express Support

A mother and daughter who now live in the United States had come home for a short vacation and were drawn to the Tian Guo Marching Band. They took photos with their mobile phones. The mother said she had heard about the persecution and organ harvesting while she was living in California. It was her first time seeing a Falun Gong practitioners’ parade of such a scale. She expressed admiration for practitioners’ peaceful protests over the last 25 years and said the CCP was evil by nature. She hopes more people can learn the truth and voice their support for Falun Gong.

Her daughter said the parade was cool. Although she did not know too much about Falun Gong, she said that her classmate is from Hong Kong and through the student protests there, she had seen the tyranny of the regime. She had also observed that her classmates from China were deeply brainwashed by the regime. She thought practitioners were brave when she learned they have been persisting in raising awareness of the persecution for 25 years through parades and other activities. She said everyone should speak up for human rights and freedom of belief.

Mr. Xiao is a resident of Taichung and works in trading. He said the parade was amazing and that he habitually reads the Epoch Times. He has friends with business dealings in China and is aware that people in China are gradually realizing that the propaganda from the CCP is all lies. Many people use software to break through the internet firewall to find out the truth. According to him, many people in China think Falun Gong is good; it benefits people’s health and improves people’s moral character. He believed that Falun Gong practitioners’ efforts in spreading the truth and exposing the evil nature of the CCP would hasten the collapse of the regime.

Mr. Peng, a retiree who used to work at a company in Hsinchu, was in Taichung on vacation when he saw the parade. He said practicing Falun Gong improves people’s moral values and that he agrees with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance taught by the practice. He called on Taiwanese citizens not to harbor any unrealistic hopes for the CCP and to stand on the side of justice.

I Hope the CCP Will Collapse Soon

Mr. Lei who operates a food cart at the train station in Taichung saw the parade and was moved after learning the background of the April 25 appeal.

He said practitioners did not do anything wrong and should not be so brutally suppressed. He said the CCP was evil and was afraid of the righteous, but he believed justice would prevail. He hopes more people will learn the truth and this will bring the downfall of the CCP.

A resident from Taipei who came to Taichung to visit a friend sat on a bench in the gardens quietly watching the parade. He said, “This is the Falun Gong group. Although I don’t know too much about the April 25 appeal that took place 25 years ago, I support Falun Gong, freedom of belief.”

People Are Moved By Practitioners’ Efforts to Expose the Persecution for 25 Years

Mr. Tan from China was visiting relatives in Taiwan and said, “Falun Gong is suppressed by the CCP in China, this is a political operation. I think belief should be respected no matter what country or region.”

Mr. Wu was on a holiday in Taiwan and said freedom of belief is a basic human right. “If you persecute a belief, it is an infringement on human rights, and it is not a democratic approach,” he said.

He also said he often saw Falun Gong parades in the U.S., which is a free country that respects human rights. Crimes like organ harvesting should not be condoned and accepted.

Mr. Xu said a good government would not be afraid of a group like Falun Gong.

Mr. Xu from Zhanghua said, “I know Falun Gong is a cultivation group. A good government should not be scared of it or suppress it. The CCP is afraid because it is not confident of its rule. In an open society, practicing cultivation is the most natural thing. The government should serve its people and let them lead normal lives. Otherwise it will be cast aside by the people.”

Mr. Zhong who works in Taipei happened to return to Taichung that weekend and saw the parade. He said it was his first time seeing such a grand parade. He was overjoyed, and while chatting to a practitioner he learned about the persecution of Falun Gong. He thought it was a great practice and decided to follow the parade so he could find out more.

Mr. Cai said those who have not withdrawn from the CCP should make the right choice after he learned that 430 million Chinese have already quit the CCP.

Mr. Cai from Caotun township in Nantou County walked alongside practitioners in the parade with his wife and child. His mother was in the parade. “It is great that Falun Gong practitioners conduct themselves according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, persist in their belief, and have powerful positive energy,” he said. “At the same time, it is admirable to see practitioners’ relentless efforts in telling people about the persecution.”