(Clearwisdom.net) Twelve years ago, on July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist regime launched a brutal persecution campaign against Falun Gong practitioners. Over the past twelve years, the CCP has never stopped the persecution in a single day. Persecution such as cruel torture, forced labor, organ harvesting happened every day in China. In response to this ongoing persecution, practitioner of all over the world held different activities to protest the persecution.

On July 20, 2011, practitioners in Finland held rallies in front of Chinese Embassy and in Esplanadi park respectively, to protest the persecution of Falun Gong. At night, practitioners held a candlelight vigil in front of railway station. A lot of local people raised their concerns about this special day.

Practitioners of Finland meditate in front of Chinese Embassy to protest the persecution of Falun Gong

Practitioners demonstrate exercises in Esplanadi Park, People sign the petition

In the morning, Falun Gong practitioners in Finland held up banners with words "Falun Dafa is good", " Stop the persecution of Falun Gong" in front of Chinese Embassy. They also used speakers to tell people about the brutal persecution, the process of the practitioners all over the world protesting the persecution rationally as well as process of practitioners speaking out the truth in a tireless effort to the public. Practitioners sat quietly, holding the images of practitioners who have died as a result of the persecution, to call for it to end.

In the afternoon, practitioners held activities in Esplanadi park. Banners, display boards, exercise demonstrations, re-enactment of torture methods and crowds around them, all of these became a special view in the park. Many tourists took photos, a lot of them indicated that they will tell such cruel persecution to their friends. Mr Ilkka asked practitioner to take a picture for him. In picture, he knelt down in half and prayed beside the practitioners re-enacting torture methods. He felt the persecution was just inconceivable. Why has such a peaceful exercise been brutally persecuted for 12 years? He then signed the petition to support practitioners.

Passersby stop to view exhibition boards in Esplanadi park

The candlelight vigil started with bamboo flute music, the solemn and stirring music attracted passersby of all the directions to come and view the exhibition. Many of passersby knew the special meaning of today from practitioners. They were moved by the tireless efforts of practitioners from their sight and expression.

Practitioners hold a candlelight vigil in front of railway station to commerize the persecution victims in China

Mr Wu is a Falun Gong practitioner from Guangzhou City, China. He was cruelly persecuted in China. He cherishes his free environment here very much. Every day, he comes to tourist attractions and tells truth of Falun Gong to Chinese. He said, “I was hung up with handcuffs for more than four months, being put under the basketball stands and exposed under the strong sunlight for 17 hours a day. My hands were handcuffed for more than four months. I also suffered great pain from another torture named “tie-up”. The torture is to use strings to tie my arms and legs together, making me like a ball. I can’t even sit steady. In my family, my mother was sentence to 7 years in jail when she was 70. She died in jail. My brother is a lecturer, graduated from Sun Yat Sen University of Medical Sciences. He was sentenced to 8 years, and my wife 10 years in jail too.

A lot of passersby asked practitioners after they had viewed the display boards and then signed the petition. People always queued in front of signature table, waiting for signing petition. Many overseas tourists, from Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, UK, Sweet, and France, joined the activities. A group of children also came to ask practitioners: what they could do (for Falun Gong), whether they can sign their names on the signature books? Many people told practitioners: you are doing a valuable thing. A lot of them said they were happy to contribute to this activity.

A lady passing by told practitioners that she always received leaflets of Falun Gong practitioners in the headquarters of UN in New York. She was curious since she also met with practitioners in Helsinki. She visited China with a mission. One professor in mission understood Chinese well. She learned a lot of things about China from him. She felt that situation in China is not as bad as reported by external world. However, when she heard about organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners, she was shocked. She said she couldn’t believe that is true. Then she took off her dark glasses and listened to practitioners speaking out the all kinds of brutal tortures employed by CCP, organ harvesting and other crimes committed by CCP. Before leaving, she said she will learn more about this (persecution) and greatly appreciated information practitioner gave her. She smiled at practitioners and left。

Teacher from Switzerland said: I felt shocked and sad. Falun Gong calls for peace and humanity, they hurt no one. But they are subjected to such terrible persecution. All of us should oppose CCP together, because our world should be a peaceful one, no one can tolerate persecution like this. I will appeal for United Nation and Ban Ki-moon. They should protest CCP regime publicly!