(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners held a rally on Parliament Square opposite the Houses of Parliament in London on July 18. They demonstrated the exercises and told people about the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 22-year-long persecution. They read letters of support sent by elected officials. They also held activities at the British Museum, in Chinatown, and on St. Martin's Square to raise awareness of and protest the persecution.

Rally on Parliament Square opposite the Houses of Parliament in London on July 18. Practitioners held portraits of fellow practitioners tortured to death by the CCP. The two characters in front mean commemoration.Practitioners demonstrate the exercises.Young practitioners join the group practice.Reenactment of the CCP’s torture methods.

Practitioners demonstrated the exercises, displayed commemorative portraits, set up information boards, and reenacted the CCP’s forms of torture. The activities drew the attention of passersby, and many paused to learn more about Falun Dafa and sign the petition to end the persecution.

People sign the petition to end the persecution.

Support from Elected Officials

Several letters of support from elected officials were read during the rally. Wera Hobhouse, Member of Parliament (MP), wrote, “Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance are the antidotes to the oppression of the Chinese Communist Party and I commend Falun Gong for standing up for these principles.”

The Baroness Cox, an independent member of the House of Lords, wrote, “We are here at this rally to remember the millions of Falun Gong practitioners who continue to experience persecution from the Chinese Communist regime merely because of their faith.

“I am deeply concerned by the suffering of Falun Gong practitioners in China, and I have great respect for Falun Gong.

“I regret that I am unable to be with you today but please know that I stand with you in your quest for the freedom to practice your beliefs in China.”

Incarcerated and Tortured in Masanjia Forced Labor Camp

Li Yong described how she was tortured with force-feeding while incarcerated in Masanjia Forced Labor Camp.

Li Yong from China started practicing Falun Dafa on May 1, 1995. She talked about her personal experience of petitioning in China, “On December 23, 1999, two or three fellow practitioners and I went to Tiananmen Square with our banners to appeal for Falun Dafa.

“After we arrived at Tiananmen Square, I was held down by the police before I finished shouting ‘Falun Dafa is good.’ I was escorted to a police substation. I was later detained in the Longshan police substation and was deprived of sleep for eight days. Two people kept me awake by pinching my legs.

“After that, I was incarcerated in Masanjia Forced Labor Camp. When I held a hunger strike to protest the persecution I was force-fed twice a day. My left nostril was badly injured from the force-feeding. The guards then inserted the tubing into my right nostril.

“One day after the feeding, a guard didn’t pull the tubing out. He asked me if I would continue practicing Falun Dafa. I nodded. He pushed the tube in deeper. I struggled. Because I’d studied medicine, I knew I might die if he continued to push the tubing in further. He stopped and said that he would not pull it out. Later I managed to pull the tube out myself, and there was blood everywhere.

“I was then escorted to the city detention center. Since I could no longer take care of myself, the detention center refused to accept me. I was released on bail pending trial.”

Unable to See Her Parents for 22 Years

Practitioner Minghui Yu

Minghui Yu, 34, was separated from her parents when she was 12 years old. Her father and mother were sentenced to 15 and 11 years in prison, respectively, for their belief in Falun Dafa. They were badly tortured.

Yu said, “In 2016, my father was released. My parents were finally reunited after a 17-year separation. The day my dad was released from prison, I was so happy that I was able to talk to my parents on the phone. I thought I had a home again.

“The good days did not last long, however. We discovered that the phone was tapped. There was an echo on the phone. Sometimes I could hear another voice and even another person could talk to me. This was like a police siren, reminding us that my parents were still living under surveillance. The persecution continues. An hour after I talked with my parents, they disappeared.

“Before Christmas last year, my mother Wang Meihong was again illegally arrested. After being detained for five months, she was sentenced to four years in prison.

“The 22-year nightmare continues. I don’t know when the persecution will end and when my family can live like normal people. But I also feel relieved in my heart, because, like other Dafa practitioners, my parents have a firm belief, which supports them to persevere.”

People Sign the Petition to Condemn the Persecution

Many passersby paused to watch, accept fliers, and sign the petition to protest the persecution.

A young couple walking by stopped to talk to a practitioner. After learning about the persecution and the petition, they said that they would sign but not on paper. They took out their mobile phones, scanned the QR code, and signed online.

Nicola

When Nicola passed by the activities, she signed the petition without hesitation. She said, “I know that Falun Dafa is being persecuted in China. My sister-in-law is a Tibetan, so I know what is happening in China.”

When Mary Kaina passed by, she was deeply attracted. She raised her mobile phone to take a video of practitioners doing the exercises, then she walked around.

When a practitioner approached her, she asked several questions and continued to record. “Can you tell me what Falun Gong is? Why does the CCP persecute it? Is it a political group? Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good, but it’s not easy to do. How did you do it?”

The practitioner answered all her questions. She recorded for about ten minutes and said, “I will post this video online so everyone can see it.” She signed the petition and said, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is so good!”