Monday July 2, 12:13 pm Eastern Time

- Press Conference in New York to Kick Off Historic March To Washington, D.C. - NY Speakers Include Supporters, Practitioners, Victims, and Family Members

NEW YORK, July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- A press conference is to be held by people who practice and support Falun Gong, on Tuesday, July 3, at the Chinese Consulate, 520 12th Avenue at 42nd Street, to kick off a historic 250-mile "SOS! Urgent: Rescue the Falun Gong Practitioners Persecuted in China" walk to Washington, D.C. The month-long trek seeks to rescue those persons imprisoned in China following the Communist regime's July 20, 1999, crackdown on Falun Gong.

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China's government has engaged in the brutal suppression of millions of people who practice Falun Gong, a traditional Chinese qigong practice similar in form to Tai-chi. Falun Gong is practiced peacefully worldwide, yet China's regime violently suppresses this freedom of expression. To date, at least 234 Falun Gong people have been killed in police custody, with 25 new deaths reported in the last month alone.

Walkers will leave from New York City, and proceed through Newark, N.J., Philadelphia, and Baltimore, before reaching Washington, D.C. Thousands of supporters are expected to join en route. The walk will culminate in Washington on Thursday, July 19, in a mass march from the Washington Monument to the Capitol, where a large rally will be held. The journey symbolizes the courageous, determined efforts of thousands who have demonstrated in China, and is an appeal for an immediate release of all in China who are jailed and imperiled for their practice of Falun Gong.

The press conference will consist of speeches from Falun Gong supporters, practitioners, victims of the persecution, and family members of those jailed or missing in China. Over 400 are expected.

WHEN: Tuesday, July 3rd, 2001, 10 A.M.

WHERE: Chinese Consulate, 520 12th Avenue, at 42nd Street

WHO: Falun Gong supporters and practitioners, including victims who have been tortured and family members of those jailed or missing

Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa) is an ancient form of qigong, the practice of refining the body and mind through special exercises and meditation. In just eight years since its public introduction, Falun Dafa has grown to become the most popular form of qigong ever in Chinese history. Since being introduced to the general public in 1992, Falun Dafa has attracted tens of millions of people in more than 40 countries. Most major cities and universities in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe have English-speaking Falun Dafa practice groups.

SOURCE: Falun Dafa Information Center