(Minghui.org) On April 25, 1999, more than 10,000 Falun Dafa practitioners went to the Central Appeals Office in Beijing to ask for the release of 45 practitioners arrested in Tianjin days before. They also appealed to the authorities to allow Falun Dafa books to be published and practitioners to be able to practice their faith in peace. They gathered peacefully and quietly, displaying their moral courage to stand up for justice and follow one’s conscience.
To commemorate the 24th anniversary of the April 25th peaceful appeal, practitioners in Japan held a parade in Tokyo on April 22, 2023. They displayed banners and distributed brochures to inform people about Falun Dafa, to condemn the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution, and to call for people around the world to come together to end the persecution.
Practitioners in Japan held a parade in Tokyo to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the April 25th peaceful appeal and raise awareness of the persecution.
Tokyo Parade Commemorates the April 25th Peaceful Appeal and Calls for the End of the Persecution
The peaceful parade attracted many passersby who video-recorded it. Many people learned about the persecution of practitioners in China by reading the banners and informational brochures that practitioners distributed. People also signed petitions to show their support.
The hour-long parade started at East Ikebukuro Central Park and wound its way through many bustling neighborhoods and areas where Chinese live in Tokyo. A police car led the parade followed by the large Tian Guo Marching Band. Practitioners displaying informational banners came next, and a large contingent demonstrating the graceful Falun Dafa exercises made for a striking end.
The peaceful parade attracted many passersby to stop and watch
The mighty marching band played “Falun Dafa Is Good,” “The Fa Rectifies the Cosmos,” and “The Holy King of Falun,” among other pieces, and caught many people’s attention. Some onlookers waved and some gave a thumbs up to show their support. When people learned that the CCP has been persecuting Falun Dafa for 24 years and that it continues to this day, they signed petitions to show their support without hesitation.
Passersby: You Must Persist!
Mr. Tanaka reads a Minghui briefing.
Mr. Tanaka came to Ikebukuro from Kita-ku, Tokyo, to see a movie. After hearing about the persecution of practitioners in China, he said he wanted to lend his support; “The CCP is afraid of people getting together. Why? Because they know what they are doing is wrong. So they persecute. You need to gather more voices from the people who support Falun Dafa.”
Mr. Otake (left) reads a Minghui briefing.
Mr. Otake from the Toyoshima District in Tokyo was in Ikebukuro to run an errand. After learning that Falun Dafa practitioners are killed for their organs in China he said, “Trafficking organs is wrong. The CCP must act in a way that can be accepted by the world.”
Ms. Sakai, who was in Ikebukuro to go shopping, encouraged practitioners to carry on, “It is terrible that the CCP does not allow democracy and freedom of speech. You must persist.”
Ms. Sakai signs a petition calling for an end to the persecution.
Mr. Chaz Eberhardt from the U.S. was in Japan visiting a friend. He also lent his support, “Of course we must stop the murdering of people for their organs that is happening in China. I oppose the CCP’s evil deeds. Practitioners who are appealing in China are very courageous and that is not easy. The persecution is absolutely not allowed. Please continue to work hard.”
Mr. Chaz Eberhart opposes the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa.
He thanked the practitioner for telling him about Falun Dafa, “I am very interested and want to try it.” He said, “If there is Falun Dafa in the city where I live, I want to join.”
Practitioners in Japan Talk about Their Experiences
Ms. Wang Ning, who participated in the parade, began to practice Falun Dafa in 1993. Her entire family has taken up the practice. She said that many things she didn’t understand before became clear after practicing Falun Dafa. She expressed her gratitude to the teacher of Falun Dafa.
Wang Ning and her daughter Li Meijing.
Mr. Wang Yong, another parade participant, recalled how he began to practice Falun Dafa. He started in 1997 when he was a doctoral student at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and was studying at the Beijing English Education Center. He had read many Buddhist and Taoist books before, but none of them answered the questions closest to his heart. One day, he bought a copy of Zhuan Falun, the main text of the practice, in a bookstore and it answered all his questions. A few weeks later, he learned that there was a practice site at the Institute of High Energy Physics, so he began to practice.
He said, “I have practiced for more than 20 years, and I will continue to practice and improve myself in the future.”
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Category: April 25 Events
