(Clearwisdom.net) On January 31, 2012, hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners gathered in front of the Parliament Building in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. They held banners and performed the Falun Gong exercises in order to raise awareness of the 12-year-long persecution of Falun Gong in China. They called on Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was soon to embark on a state visit to China, to urge the Chinese Communist regime to end the persecution. Their peaceful protest moved the hearts of many passersby.

Persistence in the snow

On the path to the Parliament, the glass boxes tell people stories of persecution suffered by Canadian Falun Gong practitioners, their families and friends.

Winner of Gold Medal for China’s National Outstanding Engineering Design

He Lizhi, who was a senior engineer at the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, was sentenced to three years in prison for telling his friends the facts about the illegal persecution. He suffered numerous tortures in prison and almost died. “When I was rescued to Canada in 2004, I still could not regain my peace of mind, knowing that tens of millions of my fellow practitioners are still suffering in China. The persecution never ended, it just became more evil and subtle,” said Mr. He.

He Lizhi

Before the persecution, Mr. He benefited greatly from the practice. He was the winner of the 1996 Gold Medal for China’s National Outstanding Engineering Design. “There were close to 100 million practitioners in China before the persecution. Many were outstanding performers in their professions and were considered good people. Overnight, the Chinese Communist regime twisted right and wrong and brutally suppressed these good citizens as enemies,” said Mr. He.

Mr. He and other practitioners collected stories and evidence of the persecution they and their families experienced, over 50 of which were presented at the square in front of Parliament. He explained that these were not complete, but they reflected the depth and scope of the persecution. “The persecution is omnipresent in China. It does not matter if you are young or old, white or blue collar, the authorities will hunt you down if you practice Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” said Mr. He.

Member of Parliament: We Will Stand With You Forever

Many members of the Parliament came to the rally to support the practitioners.

Member of Parliament Stephen Woodworth comes to see the practitioners.

Member of Parliament Stephen Woodworth is the co-founder of Parliamentary Friends of Falun Gong. Mr. Woodworth told the practitioners that in this is the year of the Dragon, a symbol of great power and resistance in adversity. He believes that the practitioners possess the spirit of the Dragon and that they will be successful in stopping the persecution with their belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

MP Rob Anders

MP Rob Anders was very moved by the fact that the practitioners never had the slightest doubt about what they wanted to achieve. He believes that the year of the Dragon, the year of freedom, belongs to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

MP Elizabeth May (middle) and the practitioners.

MP and leader of Green Party Elizabeth May expressed that she would always side with the practitioners.

Priest: They Are Conveying Heaven’s Will

Father Tony Van Hee

Father Tony Van Lee is a senior petitioner at Parliament Hill. He learned about Falun Dafa long time ago. “I have never seen such a great and peaceful group like Falun Gong. Being tortured for no reason, the practitioners persistently resist the persecution with non-violence. They protect mankind’s core values and try to stop the terrible persecution of the kind and innocent in China. They are conveying Heaven’s will,” said Father Van Lee.

“I admire their commitment to goodness. I’ve read Zhuan Falun and know that they follow the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I wholeheartedly support them for holding on to this principle.”

Appellant: Falun Gong is Suffering for Everyone

Appellant Sun Wujun

Sun Wujun came to study in Canada six years ago. His family’s house in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, was illegally demolished by the authorities, and he was turned down everywhere he appealed. In 2010, he began to protest the Chinese Communist regime’s tyranny at Parliament Hill, wanting to draw attention from the international community. He placed his booth next to the practitioners’ to show his support for Falun Gong. “I am touched. There are many older people among them protesting on this bitter cold, snowy day. It’s hard even for young people like me. They are suffering for the Chinese and for everyone.”

Sun hopes that the Chinese people can wake up from the Chinese Communist regime’s lies. “After I came to Canada, I realized that Falun Gong is completely different from what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) says in its propaganda. The CCP is built on deception and violence, and hence it cannot tolerate good people. If everyone could follow Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, the world would be a better place. I hope the persecution will end soon.”