Washington D.C.: Candlelight Vigil Calls for Justice and Conscience (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net) On the evening of July 23, 2004, about one thousand Falun Gong practitioners held candlelight vigils in front of the Lincoln Memorial and the Chinese Embassy to the United States to mourn Falun Gong practitioners who have died as a result of the persecution of Falun Gong in China and to call for collective efforts to stop the persecution.

Falun Gong practitioners sat in the rain, holding candles and forming two words in Chinese, "Rectify the Fa." The atmosphere was solemn. After observing three minutes of silence, the host gave the opening speech, "Please Light Up a Candle." The host told the audience, "They faced lies with sincerity. They choked the evil with kindness. They treated violence and torture with forbearance. They inspired conscience and kindness. They led the way to 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.'"

"Candlelight is symbolic, as a solemn melody that tells the heroism and tragedy of the cultivators.

Candlelight is an epic that tells of the compassion and strong will of the cultivators.

Candlelight is the bridge between justice and compassion in the world.

Candlelight is our hope for spreading 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance' to all corners of the world.

Please light up a candle and pass on the sincerity and compassion.

Please light up a candle and illuminate the world."

After the candlelight song, Ms. Bai Xue sang a song called, "To My Fellow Countrymen." "Look at the fading images. They used to be our neighbors. They also have parents, brothers and sisters. They also have happy families..."

At last, Falun Gong practitioners read out the names of the one thousand and ten Falun Gong practitioners who have died from the persecution. In the past five years, one life after another has been lost. They were cultivating "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." ... Chen Ying, Zhao Dong, Wang Guoping... Behind every name is a tragic story.

The candlelight lit up the darkness and people' hearts. It symbolized mourning as well as brightness and hope.