(Minghui.org) Practitioners held a candlelight vigil and rally in front of the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles on the evening of July 20, 2024 to raise awareness of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) genocidal persecution of Falun Gong (Falun Dafa), which began 25 years ago and continues to this day.

Practitioners held a candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate to mourn fellow practitioners who were persecuted to death and to call for an end to the persecution.

Practitioners sat quietly in front of the Chinese Consulate. They held candles and photos of practitioners who were persecuted to death by the CCP, mourning those who lost their lives upholding the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

They displayed banners which had the messages: “The World Needs Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” “Falun Dafa is Good,” and “Stop the Persecution of Falun Gong.”

At Least 400 Practitioners Sentenced This Year

On July 20, 1999, the CCP launched a campaign of slander and suppression against Falun Dafa. In the 25 years of persecution, countless practitioners have been illegally detained, sentenced, tortured, and even killed through organ harvesting. Due to the CCP’s information blockade, the exact number is hard to determine. Despite this, practitioners continue to steadfastly and peacefully clarify the truth.

Wu Yingnian, a Falun Dafa spokesman in Los Angeles, said, “Today, we are in front of the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles to condemn the CCP’s 25 years of brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and to call on the international community to pay attention to this severe human rights violation.”

According to Minghui website statistics, in the first half of 2024 alone, 69 Falun Gong practitioners were persecuted to death in China; at least 447 were illegally sentenced, with some sentences over ten years; and 173 practitioners were fined a total of 1.79 million yuan.

Wu Yingnian, spokesperson for Falun Dafa practitioners in Los Angeles, addressed the rally.

Wu Yingnian said, “It is shocking that among them, 62 elderly practitioners over the age of 60 were illegally sentenced, with the oldest being 94 years old.” he said the heinous crime of organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners continues.

The CCP’s Crime of Forced Organ Harvesting Continues

Since the CCP’s crime of harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners was first exposed in 2006, international human rights defenders have conducted independent investigations through various channels, and obtained concrete evidence.

Dr. Dana Churchill, the West Coast representative of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH), addressed the rally.

Dr. Dana Churchill, the West Coast representative of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH), said at the rally, “China performs over 100,000 organ transplants annually, with a very limited number of voluntary donors. A large body of evidence indicates that Falun Gong practitioners are the main source of organs for transplantation in China.”

Churchill pointed out that a doctor’s duty is to save lives, but under the CCP’s rule, they have become accomplices to genocide. “Sooner or later, people in China and around the world will discover the crime that the CCP is desperately trying to hide, and everyone must pay for the crimes they have committed.”

On June 25, 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Falun Gong Protection Act. This bill requires the United States to stop the CCP’s forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience and calls for sanctions on those in China who participate in or assist with organ harvesting. The advancement of this legislation is seen as a powerful action by the international community against the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong.

Dr. Youfu Li, the Los Angeles Falun Dafa Association representative, addressed the rally.

Democracy Leader: It Is Our Duty to Support Falun Gong

At the rally, Zheng Cunzhu, Chairman of the Chinese Democratic Party Headquarters, Vice Chairman and CEO Jie Lijian, and General Manager Chen Chuangchuang spoke in support of Falun Gong practitioners.

Zheng Cunzhu, Chairman of the Chinese Democratic Party Headquarters, addressed the rally and voiced his support for practitioners.

Zheng Cunzhu said that Falun Gong practitioners have always been calm and firm in their faith during the CCP’s 25-year-long persecution. “It’s a virtue.” He noted that many Falun Gong practitioners are misunderstood, mocked, or even attacked when telling people about the persecution or helping people quit the CCP, but they tolerate others. This tolerance and benevolence are “worthy of respect.”

“The reason why Falun Gong has spread worldwide and gained the support of people from various countries, ethnicities, and different cultural traditions is closely related to its tolerance,” said Zheng Cunzhu. “The CCP’s suppression of Falun Gong is out of narrow-mindedness.” He reiterated, “We support Falun Gong because freedom of belief is the most fundamental human right.”

Jie Lijian stated that the peaceful resistance of the Falun Gong practitioners over the past 25 years “has not been easy at all.” In the battle between good and evil and in the face of life and death, they have always adhered to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, bringing harmony and beauty to at least 100 countries around the world.

Jie Lijian, Vice Chairman and CEO of the Chinese Democratic Party Headquarters, addressed the rally

Jie Lijian expressed gratitude for Falun Gong practitioners’ activities. “Without their persistent efforts over the years, many people would still be deceived, misled, and harmed by the CCP, and might never know the true evil of the CCP.” He stated, “Supporting Falun Gong is our responsibility; it is a call from my conscience.”

Chen Chuangchuang expressed his deep admiration for the persistence of Falun Gong practitioners over the years. “This is the longest, largest, most diverse, and effective resistance against the CCP in its 75 years of rule, and it is worldwide.” He highlighted the significance of helping over 400 million people quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations, calling it “truly remarkable.”

Chen Chuangchuang, General Manager of the Chinese Democratic Party, addressed the rally.

“They are a group of kindhearted people, yet the CCP has slandered them with the most malicious terms,” said Chen Chuangchuang. He expressed gratitude for the arduous resistance of Falun Gong practitioners over the past 25 years, saying, “I salute them and mourn those who have lost their lives.”

The Persecution of Falun Gong Exposes the True Nature of the CCP

The day of the rally, the U.S. State Department issued a statement pointing out that Falun Gong practitioners and their families are subjected to abuse and human rights violations by authorities in China. The statement called on the CCP to stop suppressing Falun Gong and other religious groups and to release all those imprisoned for their beliefs. The spokesperson also indicated that the United States would hold human rights violators accountable.

Li Youfu stated that to this day, many countries and people around the world support Falun Gong and condemn the CCP, countering the persecution. “Ending the persecution of Falun Gong is an inevitable outcome in history.

“For nearly a century, the CCP has brought immense suffering to the Chinese people and has committed countless atrocities,” he said. “The CCP is against humanity, destroys all rules and peace, and undermines all traditional beliefs worldwide.”

He called on the people of China and the world to work together to dismantle the CCP, “End the CCP, stop the persecution, free the Chinese people from countless calamities, and welcome a bright future.”