Bulgaria: Peaceful Protest Outside Chinese Embassy Calls for Ending the Persecution

(Minghui.org) Practitioners held a peaceful protest in front of the Chinese Embassy in Sofia on July 20, 2024. The date marks 25 years since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began its brutal persecution of Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) in July 1999.

Practitioners from across Bulgaria gathered to peacefully protest the CCP’s persecution, commemorate fellow practitioners who died in the persecution over the past 25 years, and call for the persecution to end.

The practitioners put up banners with their demands written in Bulgarian, English, and Chinese: “Stop the Forced Organ Harvesting From Falun Gong Practitioners in China” and “SOS! Stop the Forced Organ Harvesting.” There were also messages introducing Falun Dafa, “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance,” “100 Million Practitioners Around the World,” and “Falun Dafa - A Traditional Method for Cultivating Mind and Body.”

Using a megaphone, the president of the Falun Dafa Association in Bulgaria described the abuse practitioners in China are subjected to by the CCP, while also informing the public that many countries around the world have taken action to end the persecution.

Rally in front of Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria on July 20, 2024

Security Guard: “You are the most peaceful protest.”

The officers who guarded the protest wished to know why the event was being held. This was the first time they had been stationed in front of the Chinese Embassy, and they said they did not know about the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

They accepted informational brochures, listened attentively to the practitioners’ detailed account, and even stayed after the event was over while practitioners loaded the banners into their cars. One officer said, “You are the most peaceful protest I have ever guarded. If everyone was like you, it would be a miracle!” His partner nodded his head in agreement.

Bulgarian Practitioners Explain Why They Persist in Speaking Up

For over two decades, Falun Dafa practitioners around the world have persevered in standing up for their fellow practitioners in China. Bulgarian practitioners explained why they speak up.

Kerka began practicing in 2016 when her husband told her about Falun Dafa during a rocky time in their marriage. She credits the practice’s teachings of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance for helping them make peace with each other.

Kerka (front left) at an event on the main pedestrian street in Plovdiv

Falun Dafa became an integral part of her life, and she wished to protect freedom of belief for others. “To be part of something extremely sacred and unique [like Falun Dafa] is the highest blessing,” she said. “It illuminates and purifies one.”

Matthew began practicing Falun Dafa in 2014, during a time when he was out of work. He said the practice helped him find peace in his work life, and he wants to right the record on the practice that has changed his life so much and show the world the benefits of the practice.

“After I began practicing Falun Dafa I stopped being sick, I became calmer and more balanced, and I started to find joy in difficulties. Dafa brought balance to my family and to my work. I’ve become more efficient, more correct at work. My character has improved, and I’ve become tolerant and considerate of others,” he said.

Matthew (first row) talks to a resident about the practice.

Kerachka also feels for the practitioners in China who hold onto their faith amid the persecution, as she also feels that Falun Dafa is an important facet of her life. She has been practicing for 15 years.

Kerachka

She said that since she found Falun Dafa, or “Falun Dafa found me,” nothing could “knock me down” anymore. She is always happy. Kerachka said that striving to assimilate the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance is the most important thing in her life.