Parade on Madison Avenue shows aspects of China’s ancient culture. Father and daughter volunteer in global effort to rescue children orphaned by the persecution.

Marchers call for an end to violence against Falun Gong women in China, where torture and death are commonplace against practitioners of Falun Gong. Several hundred Falun Gong practitioners meditate in Central Park, forming Chinese characters calling for justice.

NEW YORK (FDI) – More than five thousand practitioners of Falun Gong from all over the world gathered in New York City this past weekend to participate in local activities aimed at raising awareness about the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong in China.

On Saturday, a parade on Madison Avenue told the story of Falun Gong’s growth in the Mainland and 60 other countries during the last twelve years. The parade also demonstrated how Jiang Zemin initiated and has continued the pervasive persecution of the 100 million practitioners in China since July 1999.

On Sunday, thousands of practitioners met at the Jacob K. Javits Center for a conference to share experiences of the practice. Joining United States practitioners, participants came from Australia, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, France, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Russia, Spain, England, Canada, Argentina and other countries.

Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, attended the conference and answered questions from the participants about how to apply the practice’s principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. He also spoke extensively about the on-going persecution in China.

Among several other activities during the weekend, practitioners formed a “Great Wall of Courage,” stretching through New York City’s streets and calling for legal action against all those who are taking part in the persecution.

“Jiang Zemin and those responsible for the persecution [of Falun Gong] would like you to believe that they’ve done nothing wrong, and succeed in ‘eradicating’ Falun Gong,” commented Gail Rachlin, a local volunteer. “Their propaganda has even convinced many Chinese living in the U.S., but we are here to tell the truth. Millions are being persecuted to this day, and those responsible must be exposed and brought to justice.”

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NEWS - Nov. 24, 2004
Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net

Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." Practiced in over 50 countries world-wide, Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture. With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's Communist leader Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999 (report). Since that time, Jiang's regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it. The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 1,121 deaths (reports / sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. In October 2001, however, Government officials inside China reported that the actual death toll was well over 1,600. Expert sources now estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps, typically without trial.