(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners held a candlelight vigil on Reesendammbrücke near Hamburg’s city hall on December 10, 2025, Human Rights Day. They told people how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) persecutes Falun Dafa (Falun Gong), and called on the international community to help stop these human rights abuses.

Practitioners held a candlelight vigil in Hamburg on December 10, 2025.

Hamburg is decorated in anticipation of the approaching Christmas holiday. Musicians performing Christmas songs added to the festive atmosphere. Hamburg’s annual Christmas Market drew more people than usual. Practitioners introduced Falun Dafa by doing the exercises—they also distributed flyers and talked with passersby. Many people were attracted by the soothing exercise music and stopped to learn about the event.

Heinz began practicing Falun Dafa 22 years ago, and said he heard about Falun Dafa when practitioners had an information site at the Christmas Market. He now participates in activities to introduce Falun Dafa and tell people about the CCP’s persecution of the practice.

Heinz

Heinz said he always wished to be a better person, and even asked God to help him—then he met practitioners. He explained that he’s benefited so much that he wants to tell other people about Falun Dafa. He follows Falun Dafa’s guiding principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and is able to remain calm during conflicts. He reflects on his own shortcomings, and strives to become a better person.

Although Heinz is in his 70s, he still works at a high-end coffee shop in Hamburg’s city center, near the information site. He said this gives him many opportunities to tell people about Falun Dafa and the CCP’s persecution.

He expressed his respect and concern for the practitioners in China who are being persecuted, and hopes they persevere and remain steadfast. He said he admired those practitioners who risk their lives and go out to raise awareness of the persecution. He also tries his best to participate in the peaceful protests in front of Hamburg’s Chinese Consulate.

Background: What Is Falun Dafa and Why Is the CCP Persecuting It?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries worldwide. Its teachings are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings and exercises have experienced improved health and well-being.

‌Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology. On July 20, 1999, he issued an order to eradicate the practice.

‌Under Jiang’s personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization that has the power to override the police and judicial systems. Its sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.

The Minghui.org website has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 26 years. However, the actual number is believed to be much higher, due to the difficulty in getting information out of China. Countless practitioners have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

‌There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply China’s organ transplant industry.