(Clearwisdom.net) July 20 is an important date - apart from marking the start of the cruel persecution of Falun Gong in China by the Communist regime, in Bulgaria, this day is also very important for the Olympic athletes of Bulgaria, as it was the date of their official send-off to Beijing.

During an official ceremony, the Premier of Bulgaria, Mr. Sergei Stanishev, was present to send Bulgarian athletes to the Olympic Games in Beijing. Also present were the Chinese ambassador, the chairman of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee, Mrs. Stefka Kostadinova, many Olympic athletes, and popular singers. Many citizens of Sofia gathered for the event. A great number of national media were also present.

Bulgarian practitioners hold banners exposing the persecution in China

Bulgarian Falun Gong practitioners held banners in front of the stage to protest China's human rights abuses. The banners read, "Human rights violations and the Olympics cannot co-exist in China," "Lack of freedom - shame for Olympic values," and "Stop the 9-year-long Persecution of Falun Gong in China by the Communist Regime."

As Falun Gong practitioners were the only protesters, everyone noticed them immediately - the Premier was reading the banners while making a speech, and the athletes read the banners very carefully. The media also filmed the protest. It was announced that the Chinese ambassador would give a speech next, but surprisingly he did not appear on stage. After an awkward silence, the program resumed. Many reporters received information about Falun Gong and a press release about the nine years of persecution. Some of them wrote articles covering the story. Almost every one of the spectators at the event received a leaflet about Falun Gong.

Information about the protest was aired by many media, including the Bulgarian National TV, Bulgarian National Radio, National Darik Radio, BGNES agency, daily newspapers 24 Hours and Express, and Internet sports websites. As a result, many people learned about Falun Gong and how practitioners are persecuted by the CCP in China and even killed for their organs in state army hospitals.