(Clearwisdom.net) On the afternoon of March 17, 2008, from 5 to 7 p.m., hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners and supporters held a rally in front of the Chinese Consulate to New York, protesting the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) atrocities. The CCP recently issued a secret decree under the name of "Central Political and Judiciary Commission." The decree ordered large-scale arrests and door-to-door searches of Falun Gong practitioners in the run up to the Olympics, resulting in more death cases.

Practitioners in New York hold a rally in front of the Chinese Consulate, protesting the CCP escalating the persecution using the Olympics as an excuse

Practitioners in New York hold a rally in front of the Chinese Consulate, protesting the CCP escalating the persecution using the Olympics as an excuse

Between 5 o'clock and 7 p.m., rush hour in New York, a stream of vehicles slowed down in front of the Chinese Consulate, and passersby opened their eyes wide when passing by the Chinese Consulate. Withstanding an icy wind, there were practitioners holding banners bearing messages in both Chinese and English condemning the CCP's shameless deeds: Stop the CCP from Arresting Falun Gong Practitioners in the Name of the Olympics; Immediately Release All Detained Falun Gong Practitioners; The Olympics and Crimes Against Humanity Cannot Co-exist.

A young man who passed by asked a practitioner what was going on, and after learning the facts, he said emotionally, "What can I do for you?"

Ms. Song Yun, coordinator of the East-US Falun Dafa Association said that the CCP authorities promised to improve its human rights when bidding for the right to host the Olympics. The situation now proves that [the CCP's promise] was a complete lie. The current situation of the Chinese human rights has not improved. Conversely, the CCP intensified its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and dissidents using the Olympics as an excuse. Falun Gong practitioners urgently called upon the international community to help stop the CCP's atrocities, and put an end to its brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners that has persisted for nearly nine years."

The CCP has been conducting large-scale arrests of Falun Gong practitioners throughout China in the past two months in the name of preparing for the Olympics. The persecution involved 29 provinces, major cities, and autonomous regions. There have been 1,878 cases of arrests of Falun Gong practitioners compiled and the cases of deaths due to torture obviously increased from the end of last year to March 11, 2008. It has been discovered that the new round of escalated persecution is directly related to a secret decree issued by the CCP's Central Political and Judiciary Commission on February 19, 2008.

The Beijing Olympic Games has become the biggest excuse that the CCP uses to brutally persecute Falun Gong practitioners. Falun Gong practitioners around the world sternly condemn the CCP's shameless crimes, and at the same time call upon all people of conscience to see clearly the CCP's heinous and rogue nature, and be bold enough to stand up to stop the CCP's atrocities. This is important for the future of every one of us.