Norway: Promoting Falun Gong at a Cultural Festival in Sandefjord

On Saturday August 16th, when Falun Gong practitioners were telling the people of Sandefjord City about Falun Gong and the cruel persecution in China, an organiser from the Sandefjord "Kulturfestival" visited the Falun Gong stand in the city centre and insisted that Falun Gong participated at the "Kulturfestival". The organiser told practitioners that a lot of people were expected at the festival and refused to leave the stand until he received definite assurance that practitioners would participate at the festival.

So during the last weekend in August, Falun Gong practitioners participated in the Sandefjord Kulturfestival. Throughout the course of the weekend, between 6,000 and 8,000 people came to the festival. In general, people were very interested in learning the Falun Gong exercises and asked about local free classes. Many people also signed their names to petition for the release of Charles Li, an American citizen who is imprisoned in China because he practises Falun Gong.

Festivalgoers often asked practitioners questions such as “Is it true that the persecution is so severe in China?” and “Is it true that people are tortured so severely?” They could not believe their eyes when they saw photos of tortured practitioners, confirming the cruel reality of this persecutionm which has now continued for over four years.

On Saturday evening, practitioners also held an introductory Falun Gong class for about forty-five minutes on a stage that was located at the centre of the festival. People were very appreciative and the display finished with a warm round of applause.