Webinar: Grassroots Dissent in China: Past, Present, and Future - #FalunDafa Information Center
"April 25, 2025 marks the 26th anniversary of the historic peaceful appeal by over 10,000 #FalunGong practitioners in Beijing, an event that captured global attention for its unprecedented display of discipline, compassion, and civic integrity.
On April 25, 1999, Falun Gong practitioners gathered quietly outside the State Council Appeals Office near Zhongnanhai, the central government compound in Beijing. Their goal: to request the release of dozens of illegally detained practitioners in Tianjin, lift a ban on Falun Gong publications, and restore a lawful environment for spiritual practice.
Despite the large turnout, the appeal was entirely #peaceful. No banners, no slogans, no conflicts—just quiet appeals for justice. Premier Zhu Rongji met with practitioner representatives and ordered the release of those detained. The crowd dispersed quietly, even collecting litter before leaving. Observers praised the event as “the most rational, peaceful, and orderly citizen petition in modern Chinese history.”
Since July 1999, Falun Gong practitioners in China have been subjected to arbitrary arrest, torture, forced labor, and organ harvesting. Independent investigations—including from lawyers, medical experts, and human rights organizations—have confirmed the Chinese regime’s role in these crimes against humanity.
In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has extended its campaign of repression far beyond China’s borders, targeting Falun Gong practitioners with tactics of transnational repression that include #bomb threats, #shooting threats, lawfare, and sophisticated disinformation operations.
Most recently, the April 25 parade in New York City—held annually to commemorate a peaceful appeal by Falun Gong practitioners in 1999—was threatened by anonymous individuals who described a violent and detailed plan targeting participants. One threatening email claimed that “grenades and petrol bombs will be thrown at the parade and guns will be fired.” Fortunately, no violence occurred, and the event concluded safely."
Falun Dafa Information Center: Falun Gong Practitioners Worldwide Mark 26th Anniversary of Historic Peaceful Appeal in Beijing
https://faluninfo.net/falun-gong-practitioners-worldwide-mark-26th-anniversary-of-historic-peaceful-appeal-in-beijing/
About speakers:
The event featured a presentation by Dr. Larry Liu, an expert on the Falun Gong human rights crisis and dissent, and a panel of firsthand accounts from three grassroots activists:
• Jenny, a former engineer from Jiangsu Province who secretly operated a home-based underground printshop for 24 years.
• Diana, a Chinese American IT professional who has made over 50,000 calls into China to expose rights abuses and debunk CCP propaganda.
• Lebin Ding, an activist in Germany whose father is imprisoned in China, and who has advocated for his release at the European Parliament and United Nations.
The event was moderated by Cynthia Sun, senior researcher at the Falun Dafa Information Center and FoRB Fellow 2025 with the First Freedom Foundation. Opening comments and discussion were followed by Q&A from the audience.
Falun Dafa Information Center
https://www.ganjingworld.com/s/qpxwG3MkK7
#ccpisnotchina, #china, #eu, #euparliament, #un, #freemyparentsfree2meditate, #stopthepersecutionoffalungong #26yearstoolong #april25