(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners held a rally in Philadelphia’s Chinatown on August 31, 2024, to expose the brutal persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The rally spotlighted the CCP’s forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience. The speakers emphasized that this is a critical issue not only for Chinese people, but also for Americans. Several passersby thanked practitioners for their efforts to expose these atrocities and said they would help pass on the information to more people. 

Falun Gong practitioners held a rally in Chinatown on August 31, 2024.

After learning how the CCP has harmed people through its numerous political campaigns, sixty-five Chinese people withdrew from the CCP organizations they’d joined, including the Communist Youth League and the Young Pioneers. 

DAFOH Representative: Calling to End Genocide

Jessica Russo from Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH)

Dr. Jessica Russo from Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH) spoke at the event and said that the public cannot ignore the systematic persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by the CCP. She emphasized that forced organ harvesting is a serious issue for not only Chinese people, but also American citizens, and in fact, the atrocity has a significant global impact. The CCP’s killing its own citizens for their organs is a big problem if the United States acquiesces to it, she said. 

After being passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in June, the Falun Gong Protection Act is now being reviewed in the Senate. Dr. Russo said she hopes this act will be passed soon and signed into law. She explained that this legislation will help protect Chinese citizens, and it also prevents American medical institutions and patients from participating in the crime of organ harvesting. 

In particular, the Act requires updates from the U.S. Government on a regular basis about the organ transplant situation in China. Anyone involved in China’s organ trade or organ harvesting will face sanctions. In addition, the Act will stop any collaboration on organ transplantation with China as long as the CCP is in power. 

Dr. Russo warned that the world cannot ignore this genocide. People may have read articles about Falun Gong or the suppression in China without paying much attention, thinking it’s a group unrelated to them. She recommends they contact their senator’s office about supporting the Falun Gong Protection Act. 

Human Rights Advocate: Organ Harvesting Violates Basic Human Rights

Human rights advocate Christine Flowers speaks at the event. 

Renowned immigration lawyer Christine Flowers is a columnist and television commentator. She has also been a human rights advocate for about 30 years. She shared Dr. Russo’s concerns. She said that Falun Gong practitioners are a peaceful group who follow their faith to be good people, but they are viewed as a threat by the CCP and are being persecuted. 

Ms. Flowers said that she is very concerned about the mistreatment practitioners suffer in China, and that the persecution of Falun Gong is one of the worst human rights violations in the world. She said the Falun Gong Protection Act is one of the most powerful pieces of legislation passed by the U.S. Congress in the past several decades. Because forced organ harvesting violates basic human rights, she called for economic sanctions against the CCP. She expects that the Act will be adopted soon, so that steps can be taken to protect the victims. 

Ms. Flowers commended Falun Gong practitioners for their consistent efforts in exposing the ongoing persecution. She said that although immediate results may not be apparent, there will be changes over time as long as practitioners and their supporters do not give up. 

Passing on the Information

Practitioners talk to people about the CCP’s forced organ harvesting. 

Passersby sign petitions urging an end to the brutalities in China. 

Electrocardiograph (ECG) technician Krystal Pearson (second from left)

Many people who heard about the CCP’s forced organ harvesting for the first time were surprised by the atrocity. Krystal Pearson, an electrocardiograph (ECG) technician from Bristol, Pennsylvania, was shocked. She said the situation is horrible and it made her want to cry. She said that a human being cannot be treated as an object and be abandoned afterward. She asked for more information, and said she would tell her family and friends about the organ harvesting so that more people will be aware of what’s going on in China. 

Social worker Lena Queen

Lena Queen, a social worker from Delaware, said she knew a little about the CCP’s past human rights abuses, but she wished to hear more. She signed up for a newsletter to receive updated information, so that she and her family could stay informed. She said it’s important for the public to know what’s going on, to ensure human rights are protected. 

Geologist Mike Fennessy-Butters (first from right)

Geologist Mike Fennessy-Butters stopped by the event, and talked with a practitioner. He said he hadn’t heard about forced organ harvesting before, but he wasn’t surprised because he knew the CCP was brutal. He planned to read more and said he would speak up for those who cannot make their voices heard. 

Falun Gong practitioners speak out against the persecution at the Chinatown rally.