(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners in Switzerland held a signature drive in downtown Zurich on June 29, 2013, calling for an end to the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong, including the practice of organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners.

Passerby signs a petition calling for an end to the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong

People sign the petition

A woman translates the wording on a poster board for her friend

Although it rained for most of the day, many passersby stopped to read the practitioners' informational display boards. Some people just glanced at the posters depicting the persecution of Falun Gong by the CCP in China, and immediately signed the petition form. Others carefully read the display boards portraying the various forms of torture used by the Party to persecute Falun Gong practitioners.

Many people were unaware that Falun Gong has spread to over 100 countries around the world. Some Chinese people accepted the Minghui Weekly, hoping to learn more about Falun Gong. After signing the petition, many people thanked the practitioners for taking the initiative to inform the public about the facts, and wished them luck in collecting more signatures.

One gentleman, who understood the Chinese regime's crimes, said that he hoped his signature would help speed up an end to the persecution.

"I saw the horrible things that the Party has done,” he explained, “however, our media insists on remaining silent on these most egregious crimes.

“A lot of innocent people have been tortured and imprisoned in concentration camps throughout China, however, many people in the West don't know about it. Nor do they know about the Chinese regime's crimes throughout its brief history. Socialism has indeed influenced the media, which in turn mislead the public."

Students Oberholtzer and Hartmann expressed hope that their signatures would let more people know about the Party's inhuman persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

"I signed the petition because I feel that it is very important for people to know about organ harvesting,” Ms. Oberholtzer explained. “A signature can let more people know that these types of crimes are actually happening. I hope that my signature can play such a role.”

Mr. Hartmann also hopes that his signature will make a difference. He said that the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, “should never have happened, especially the organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners. That absolutely should not be allowed to continue!”

The couple said they would read the Minghui Weekly and find out more about Falun Gong on the Internet. They talked about watching the video, False Fire: China's Tragic New Standard in State Deception , which analyzes the so-called 2001 Tiananmen Square "self-immolation."

After learning of the Chinese Communist regime's practice of live organ harvesting, a woman exclaimed, "This is murder; it's murder!" She immediately signed the petition and asked her daughter to sign it, too. Some people signed the petition then left, only to return with some of their friends, who also added their signatures to the petition form.

Some people asked for a few blank signature forms, saying that they, too, wanted to help collect signatures. Several Chinese tourists took photos of the informational display boards, hoping to share them with their friends and family back in China.