Sydney, Australia: Parade in Central Business District Raises Awareness, Candlelight Vigil Honors those Who Died in the Persecution

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July 21, 2014 | By Minghui correspondent Hua Qing

(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners held a torture reenactment to expose the brutal persecution in China and a signature drive calling for an end to the crimes of forced organ harvesting in China at Martin Place, a busy pedestrian mall in the central business district of Sydney on July 17. This year marks the 15^th year of practitioners' peaceful resistance to the persecution in China, which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officially launched overnight on July 20, 1999.

During the Thursday workday lunch hour, the practitioners held a parade in the business district to raise awareness about Falun Gong and the persecution.

Falun Gong practitioners held a parade in the business district in Sydney on Thursday, July 17 to raise awareness of the persecution.

A Falun Gong practitioner clarifies the truth at Martin Place, Sydney.

Many professionals who work in the nearby offices saw the parade and signed the petition to support ending the atrocities in China. One woman took informational materials from practitioners and said that she would distribute them to help spread the word.

A man who works at the Red Cross spent quite some time near the practitioners' event. He gave the practitioners his business card and said he hoped to provide more support to help end the persecution sooner.

One gentleman asked a Falun Gong practitioner why he heard conflicting information from his Chinese colleagues. The practitioner explained that a lot of Chinese people in Australia were influenced by the CCP propaganda because many Chinese-language media in the country were direct exports from mainland China. She said that Chinese people in Australia were not necessarily better informed than non-Chinese Australians in terms of current affairs in China.

The McCarthys from New Zealand were sightseeing in Sydney. They had seen Falun Gong practitioners' activities in their home country, but hadn't had the opportunity to learn much about the persecution. They were shocked by the brutality of the CCP's forced organ harvesting of imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners and signed the petition because “injustice anywhere is a threat to the entire world!”

A candlelight vigil was held in front of City Hall on July 18 to honor those who gave their lives to uphold their faith.

Candlelight vigil on July 18 in Sydney