Sweden: Falun Gong Receives Warm Welcome at a Community Event in Stockholm

On August 26th, 2006, Falun Gong practitioners were invited to attend a community gathering organised by the Right of Abode Association in Hallunda, a town in the suburbs of Stockholm. Through demonstrations of the Falun Gong exercises, a display of information boards and folding paper lotus flowers, practitioners introduced Falun Gong, the ongoing persecution of the practice in China, and the Chinese communist regime’s atrocity of organ harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners.

Many event participants learn how to fold paper lotus flowesr while listening to explanations about the persecution of Falun Gong

The graceful exercise music and the elegant movements of the exercise demonstration deeply moved local residents. People came to watch the exercises, buy the Falun Gong books and also sought information about practice sites. Some of them learned the five sets of exercises right on the spot. A lady told a practitioner with a smile on her face, “I have been aware of Falun Gong exercises for a long time. I keep a videotape at home. I will find it and start practising the exercises.”

After watching the exercise demonstration and looking at the photo display, many of the participants said that they could not understand at all why the Chinese communist regime decided to persecute Falun Gong. They were terrified and outraged by the fact that organs are being harvested from live Falun Gong practitioners in China. “It is hard to believe that such things still occur nowadays. It is truly horrible”, said a lot of people. They signed their names to denounce the atrocity and support practitioners’ appeal against the persecution.

A gentleman who maintains a website for the community photographed all of Falun Gong practitioners’ activities. He told practitioners that he would post all of the photos on the website so that more people could know and pay attention to the event. After signing his name to support Falun Gong, he also took a group picture with practitioners.

Upon the completion of the community gathering, the event organiser of the Right of Abode Association approached practitioners to express his gratitude for practitioners’ introduction of Falun Gong to the community. He looks forward to additional cooperation in the future.