(Minghui.org) The annual festival Helsinki Day was celebrated on June 12, 2026, and residents and tourists enjoyed hundreds of activities throughout the city to celebrate Helsinki’s birthday. Falun Dafa practitioners demonstrated the Dafa exercises at Esplanade Park next to the wharf and introduced the benefits of this mind-body cultivation practice from China. They also told people about the 27-year persecution of Falun Dafa in China and exposed the severe human rights abuses taking place in the persecution, including the forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience.
The park was filled with people and many stopped to watch practitioners do the exercises while others read the messages on the banners that were in multiple languages. Many people signed a petition calling for an end to the persecution.
Practitioners demonstrate the exercises at Esplanade Park in Helsinki, during the Helsinki Day festival.
A boy follows along as practitioners do the fourth exercise.
Many people read the messages on the banners or talked with practitioners.
People sign the petition to call for an end to the atrocities in China.
We Cannot Be Indifferent
Kari and Marjo signed the petition and said they’d previously heard how the CCP brutally persecutes Falun Dafa. Kari said, “Finnish people’s lives are so comfortable that they aren’t interested in such things.”
To thank them for supporting human rights in China, practitioners gave them a beautiful lotus flower ornament and explained the meaning of the lotus flower, that it grows up from the mud but remains untarnished and lovely. They also explained Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance written on the ornament. Marjo responded, “This is a wonderful idea.”
This Is Unbelievable
When a woman said, “We’ve heard of Falun Dafa,” a practitioner told her that the current situation is even more worrying now, because in China ordinary citizens have also gone missing—not just prisoners of conscience.
She signed the petition to stop the organ harvesting and said, “This is truly unbelievable. I first heard of this [persecution] ten years ago when a Chinese woman told me about it. She said she heard about it after she moved to Finland.”
The practitioner thanked her and told her, “Your support can save lives.” The woman asked if her signature really made a difference and the practitioner explained that by signing the petition, more people will learn the facts and this can indeed help stop the atrocities.
There Is No Freedom in Communist Countries
Lissa said, after signing the petition, “This [persecution] is terrible, shocking, it cannot be true. What is it like living in China? It is a Communist country. People have no freedom. It is truly ridiculous.”
When a practitioner gave her a lotus flower, she said she loved it and said she would show it to her friend from China.
Young People Pay Attention to Human Rights Issues in China
High school students Heino and Ilmari stopped at the booth, talked to practitioners and signed the petition.
They said their teacher had previously told them about the severe human rights situation in China, so after they heard how Falun Dafa is persecuted, they decided to sign the petition to show their support.
Students sign the petition to end the persecution of Falun Dafa in China.
Student from Vietnam Learned of the Persecution on Social Media
Minh from Vietnam is studying in Finland. She said she read information on social media about the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa and the organ harvesting, so she wanted to sign the petition to stop the brutalities.
A practitioner told her that many people in Vietnam practice Falun Gong and that there were many outdoor practice sites in Finland. Minh said she would find out more about Falun Dafa.
Minh from Vietnam said she learned about the persecution through social media.
Tourists From All Over the World Show Support
Niño is a freelancer from Philippines who sings, produces, and writes songs. He said, “It is not easy to leave China. Everything is controlled and the people are brainwashed. After they come abroad, they realize many things are not what they thought of before.”
He continued, “In China, it is extremely difficult to discuss religion. The only thing you can do is keep talking about it on social media like Instagram and Facebook.” He encouraged practitioners to try their best to tell people about what is happening in China.
Falun Dafa Is a Form of Spiritual Belief
Shawn and Kukka from France signed the petition to call for an end to the persecution after chatting with practitioners.
Shawn was interested in the Falun emblem necklace worn by a practitioner. The practitioner showed them many historical photos about the “卍” symbol and explained that this symbol not only appears in Buddha sculptures, the symbol is on the Finnish Air Force emblem and Finland’s presidential flag.
Shawn and Kukka talked about the difference between religion and belief. Shawn said, “Falun Dafa is a form of spiritual belief; this is great.” They also looked at the photos about Falun Dafa in China displayed in the park and thanked practitioners for introducing the practice to them.
Afaq and Usama from Pakistan said they know what the Communist Party is about and what it has done in the past. They were interested in Falun Dafa and listened attentively as practitioners explained about the persecution.
A Family Is Moved by Practitioners’ Persistence
A family holidaying in Finland were drawn to the soothing exercise music and stopped to watch practitioners do the exercises.
A practitioner explained the health benefits of the practice and how the CCP brutally persecutes Falun Dafa. The father said, “I hope you talk to many people.” The practitioner replied, “Practitioners around the world have persisted in telling people about the persecution for 27 years. But we will continue and keep spreading the message.”
The family was deeply moved after hearing the practitioner’s words, and asked if they could take photos of the activities.
A family takes photos of practitioners’ activities.
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