(Minghui.org) European Falun Gong practitioners held a rally on the Place de la Bourse in Paris on the afternoon of September 30, 2017. They wanted to let people know about the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong and to ask for help stop the 18-year-long campaign against innocent practitioners.

Tang Hanlong, president of the Falun Dafa Association in France, speaks in the rally.

Falun Gong practitioners rally on the Place de la Bourse in Paris on September 30, 2017.

Tang Hanlong, president of the Falun Dafa Association in France, explained in the rally that Falun Gong is a peaceful practice that follows Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Because of its health benefits, it spread quickly. Out of jealousy and fearful of losing control of the people, Jiang Zemin, the former head of the CCP, initiated the persecution of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999.

This persecution has led to the documented deaths of 4162 Falun Gong practitioners over the past 18 years. Many more have been tortured for their belief and even killed for their organs. Jiang Zemin is directly responsible for the inception and continuation of the persecution.

Tang Hanlong called on democratic governments, non-governmental organizations, journalists, and everyone else to work together to stop the persecution.

Former French Minister: Support Falun Gong Practitioners to End the Persecution

Former French Minister Françoise Hostalier speaks at the rally.

Former French Minister Françoise Hostalier participated in the rally and spoke in support of practitioners' efforts to end the persecution. She called on the CCP regime to stop the persecution.

Hostalier said that she admired the event organizers for their unrelenting efforts to secure the Chinese people's basic human rights. She said, “We are lucky to live in France, a country of liberty and democracy. Everyone has freedom of speech and of thought and freedom of belief. Let us not forget those who are not as fortunate. This is the reason for us to get together today.”
She said that hundreds of thousands of Chinese people have been imprisoned, tortured, and sent to forced labor camps for their belief in Falun Gong and that no one can deny the fact that the CCP regime makes arrests, tortures, and kills, especially when it comes to the state-sanctioned live organ harvesting.

She urged the Chinese leaders, “I implore you to release the Falun Gong practitioners being held in prisons or psychiatric hospitals. Give your citizens freedom of religion. Stop the horrible live organ harvesting. The next step is to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

She encouraged the rally attendees, “Don't let up. You are the hope for justice to prevail. Because of you, justice and freedom will prevail!”

Éric Alauzet, a member of the National Assembly from the Doubs District, and Jean-Marie Sermier, a member of the National Assembly, sent letters of support to the rally and called on the French government to follow the European Resolution and to condemn the CCP's crime.