On March 21 2003, American citizen Charles Li was illegally put on a show trial in Mainland China because he is a Falun Gong practitioner. Along with Dafa practitioners in other areas in North America, Dafa practitioners in the state of South Dakota held a candlelight vigil. South Dakota practitioners gathered in front of the Brookings County Court House in the cold, in order to appeal to the American Government and people to help rescue American citizen Charles. Most of the local media reported on this activity. A kind-hearted resident even clipped the story from the newspaper and gave it to the practitioners.