New York City Welcomes the Walkers from Boston

Today the Boston group of walkers stopped in New York City on their historic trip to Washington, D.C. The group of four -- two high school students and two young women in their thirties -- arrived along with their small backup crew at Rockefeller Center in the heart of New York City this morning at about 10:30.

The morning sun glinted off the famous 1934 golden statue Prometheus by the Rockefeller skating rink as the group was greeted by a few New York practitioners. The location is symbolic because the Greek God Prometheus is known as the protector and benefactor of man. Legend has it that he was the one who gave man fire, giving people the chance to escape from their primitive state and subsequently learn how to respect the gods. However, Zeus punished Prometheus for the kindness he showed to mankind by chaining him to a rock and setting an eagle on him to pick out his liver, which would grow back each day. Despite the pain and suffering, Prometheus never gave in and was eventually released.

And so, in this tradition of great compassion for mankind, the Boston walkers set off on this eleventh day of their journey, carrying banners and handing out flyers to passersby as they walked down Fifth Avenue and turned onto West 42^nd Street to go to the Chinese Consulate.

As the group arrived, about 150 New York practitioners who had been waiting on the sidewalk across the street from the PRC Consulate gave the Boston group a standing ovation, touched by their perseverance and endurance.

Mengyang Jian, an honored high school student, first read a statement to the press explaining why she and the others have chosen to embark on this trip. She spoke about the horrors of the persecution against Falun Dafa practitioners in China and their wish to let people around the world know what is happening. Mengyang will be celebrating her 17^th birthday in a few days on July 10^th as they walk through the state of New Jersey. Another high school student, Hao Wang, a sophomore at Phillips Academy also spoke about his reasons for walking, taking the opportunity to explain the truth of the situation to the journalists present.

Practitioners from New York took this opportunity to read the recent statement from the U.S. State Department [http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2001/7/6/11934.html] condemning the repression against Falun Gong in China. The message from the U.S. government has never been stronger or clearer. Referring to the recent deaths of over a dozen women in Wanjia Labor Camp, the statement says: "these people should never have been incarcerated in such camps in the first place."

After the walkers from Boston were interviewed by the media, they again embarked on their journey, this time to take the ferry across the East River to New Jersey. There, they were to hold another press event in Edison. They are expected to meet up with the NY/NJ walkers tomorrow.

The New York practitioners applaud the Boston walkers for attempting this grueling journey of hundreds of miles, enduring the summer heat, thunderstorms, blisters, fatigue, and many other challenges, both mental and physical. We applaud you, as we applaud all the practitioners in China who have so bravely stepped forward, for being so determined in your cultivation during this time -- not only for yourselves but for the benefit of others, and for the Fa.