(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners held a rally in front of the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa on July 17, 2026. They called for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to stop the 27-year long persecution and release all detained practitioners. Jack MacLaren, former member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Ontario, addressed the rally.

Former MLA Jack MacLaren addressed the rally in front of the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa on July 17, 2026. (Minghui.org)

Practitioners held a rally in front of the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa on July 17. (Minghui.org)

Mr. MacLaren said that in 1999, the CCP launched the persecution of Falun Gong due to its paranoia that the rapid spread of the latter threatened the Party’s control. “The Chinese Communist Party then began their persecution of the Falun Gong. There were beatings, imprisonment, the theft of property, and the most despicable action of all, the cash sale of human organs from healthy Falun Gong people. This is murder. This is unacceptable. This must stop.”

The CCP has persecuted Falun Gong for 27 years and extends its repression to other countries. At least 5,359 practitioners are verified to have died due to the persecution. The actual number is likely much higher due to the CCP’s information censorship.

“We stand strongly with members of the Falun Gong,” Mr. MacLaren said. He encouraged practitioners to uphold their belief and promote Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. He commended practitioners for raising awareness across the world, and said, “Keep up the good work. And everywhere there are practitioners in all these various countries, it puts pressure on the Chinese communist world, for sure.”

The CCP uses its consulates, intelligence, and foreign affairs system, to monitor, pressure, and slander Falun Gong, interfere with community events, block asylum applications, exert pressure on other governments, and carry out transnational repression. He said, “Falun Gong practitioners, I think you could say, are coming here running for their lives, literally, because they could end up in prison and be victims of organ harvesting, which is such a terrible thing.”

He said that the Canadian government and other democratic governments should stand up and say no to the CCP, “We cannot accept this persecution.”

Mr. MacLaren said, “Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance are the principles that guide Falun Gong. Falun Gong are a peaceful, passive group of people who want to be allowed to practice their spiritual beliefs through meditation and exercise.”

He said during an interview, “I know some good friends of mine who are in Falun Gong, and I’ve met good people who we’re proud to have in Canada and would be good citizens in any country. They have the three pillars of truth, compassion, and tolerance.”

Persevering Until the Persecution Ends

Ms. Huang Yanzhen and her husband go to the Chinese Embassy every week to call for an end to the persecution, and to raise awareness of the CCP’s human rights abuses. She said, “It’s important to let people know the facts. The CCP spreads lies across the world and persecutes kind people. It harms all of humanity. Thus, I must stand here to raise awareness of the issue.”

She gave an example to illustrate the brutality of the persecution. Ms. Hu Shangxiu, a 63-year-old practitioner in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China was taken away on the afternoon of June 10, 2026 by police. She was interrogated until the next morning. She began having pain around 4 a.m. and died afterwards.

“I will continue our efforts until the persecution ends and the CCP collapses,” she said. “Many cars pass by every day. Many passersby support us and honk their horns to encourage us.”

Mr. Wang Yang, a senior technical engineer at a software company who witnessed the persecution, said the CCP uses various means to maintain control and persecute kind people. He said that it’s important that practitioners continue protesting the persecution in order to uphold their belief and awaken peoples’ conscience.