(Minghui.org) Members of the Geneva City Council went to City Hall for a scheduled meeting on the afternoon of April 21, 2026. Some paused before a vibrant display next to the entrance.
Falun Dafa practitioners dressed in yellow and blue quietly meditated beneath the iconic arcades of Geneva’s Old Town. Nearby, a petition table and several informational banners were set up, drawing the attention of passing tourists, with some occasionally stopping to ask questions.
Practitioners held activities in Geneva to mark the April 25 appeal on April 21, 2026.
Senator Mauro Poggia
Senator Mauro Poggia expressed his support and said he understands the significance of April 25. He said that the world should continue paying attention to practitioners and supporting their efforts to expose the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution.
“Unfortunately, many tragedies unfolding around the world today have diverted public attention, causing people to overlook what is happening in China—and increasingly, in other places as well,” Senator Poggia said. “I believe we must never forget. We have a responsibility to remember and to stand with all practitioners who continue to endure the persecution and remain steadfast in their beliefs, including those who have tragically lost their lives as a result. We stand with you, and we support you.”
Senator Mauro Poggia has paid attention to the persecution for 20 years. In 2004, before he was elected, he was one of the eight lawyers who helped practitioners file a lawsuit against Wang Yusheng for his participation in the persecution.
Since he was elected in 2009, Mr. Poggia has made multiple statements to support practitioners and condemn the CCP’s persecution. He came to the rally to express his support.
Residents Learn About the Persecution
Several city councilors greeted and talked with practitioners at the event. They signed the petition calling for an end to the persecution and expressed their support. Some city councilors mentioned the CCP’s transnational repression and its interference with Shen Yun. They said the CCP’s extension of the persecution was unacceptable in Western countries.
The seat of the Grand Council of Geneva is a famous tourist attraction in Geneva, so many visitors watched practitioners do the exercises and read the information. Many of them signed the petition to express their support for practitioners’ efforts to end the persecution.
People sign the petition.
A local woman said that she was interested in the informational materials about the CCP’s transnational repression and the persecution because of an experience she had. She owns a house in the old town and had one room for rent. A young man from China rented it. When she asked why he wished to rent it, he said he was observing the Chinese who visited Switzerland, and he was writing reports to send to China.
Background: What Is the April 25 Appeal?
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. Millions of people have embraced the teachings—which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance as well as five gentle exercises—and experienced improved health and well-being.
On April 23 & 24, 1999, police officials in Tianjin, a city near Beijing, assaulted and arrested dozens of practitioners who had gathered outside a magazine office to discuss errors in a recently-published article attacking Falun Dafa. As word spread of the arrests and more practitioners inquired with officials, they were told they had to take their appeals to Beijing.
The following day, April 25, some 10,000 Falun Dafa practitioners spontaneously gathered at the Central Appeals office in Beijing, as they had been instructed by Tianjin officials. The gathering was peaceful and orderly. Several Falun Dafa representatives were called in to meet with Chinese Premier, Zhu Rongji, and members of his staff. That evening, practitioners' concerns were answered. The arrested practitioners in Tianjin were released and everyone went home.
Jiang Zemin, former head of the CCP, perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and issued an order to ban Falun Dafa on July 20, 1999.
Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners due to the persecution over the years; the actual number is suspected to be much higher. More 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 the organ transplant industry.
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Category: April 25 Events
