(Clearwisdom.net) On the afternoon of July 16 2006, hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners and their supporters rallied at Queens Park, Toronto, calling for more people to join the investigation of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) organ harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners and help to end the seven-year-long persecution. The CCP's crime has been widely reported in the Canadian media.
Falun Dafa banner |
Commemorating the practitioners who died in persecution |
The contact person for the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) in Toronto, Yang Kaiwen said that the July 6 report provided by Canada's former Secretary of State for Asian-Pacific Mr. David Kilgour, and human rights lawyer David Matas verified the existence of a large-scale organ harvesting activity inside Communist China.
Yang said, "We hope that all levels of Canadian government will openly condemn the Chinese Communist Party and request it to allow independent investigation organizations' members to enter China and to run an uninterrupted investigation."
Yang also said that much investigative work can be done overseas, and encouraged anyone who wants to help to join the investigation.
A representative of the Liberal Party, Mr. Borys Wrzesnewskyj, gave a speech. He said human beings include spirit and are not merely a combination of organs.
MP Wrzesnewskyj said, "I am happy to see that the Canadian government responded to the report. But I want to see a stronger response. The Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs should call upon China's Ambassador to express our concern."
New Democratic Party Member of Parliament, Zou Zhihui wrote a letter to the rally stating that the Canadian Government should pay more attention to China's human rights issues.
The president of the Canada Chinese Association, Clement Rodrigo said that evil things are happening in China and the Canadian government shall provide more help to end the persecution.
After the rally, over 500 Falun Gong practitioners and their supporters began a parade, marching through Toronto's downtown and Chinatown.
Solemn procession
The parade included the Toronto Divine Land Marching Band, a group of practitioners commemorating fellow practitioners who died in the persecution, a section exposing the crime of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners, an anti-persecution section and a Falun Gong exercise section. The participants had a white flower on their chests and their expressions were solemn.
Two passersby asked for the reason of the parade and then asked to join the parade in the "anti-persecution" section.