(Clearwisdom.net) The "Time out New York" is a magazine about life and leisure in New York. In its issue published on October 7, 2004, an article entitled, "What's up with that?" written by Katerine Pushkar introduced a new scene appeared in recent months on the streets in New York City.

As millions of New Yorkers, she also noticed that Falun Gong practitioners seemed to be everywhere. What's up with that?

Katerine wrote, "If it seems like you're practically tripping over peaceful, yellow-shirted demonstrators, that's because Falun Gong (or Falun Dafa) practitioners have descended on New York en masse in the past month. They're here for the same reason anyone else is here -- for the bright (Klieg) lights of the big city." "New York is the media capital of the world," volunteer spokesperson Gail Rachlin explains. "We felt that coming here would have a big impact."

Katerine noticed that Falun Gong, a traditional Chinese meditation and exercise practice based on truth, compassion and tolerance, has been banned as a threat by China's Communist government since 1999, its followers reportedly tortured. She said in her article, "The recent Republican convention -- and its international news lens -- offered an easy spotlight. Falun Gong disciples demonstrated during the RNC."

Rachlin told her, "It had such a positive impact, people said, 'Why don't we stay?'" The awareness campaign has drawn supporters from all over the world to city sidewalks and parks, where they meditate and display gruesome posters documenting abuse by Chinese authorities.

Lifelong New Yorker Rachlin remains hopeful of their success. "If you can win the hearts of New Yorkers," she says, "you can win the hearts of anyone."

English original can be found at: http://www8.epochtimes.com/i6/4101328231017.jpg