(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners protested 15 years of persecution by the Chinese communist regime with a series of events in San Francisco on July 19: a group exercise at the UN plaza, a rally and parade, a photo exhibit, and torture re-enactment in the city. They held the activities to call for an end to the persecution and for bringing the main perpetrators to justice.

The persecution of Falun Gong was officially launched overnight on July 20, 1999.

Practicing the exercises at the UN plaza in San Francisco

The Divine Land Marching Band

The march passes through San Francisco's Chinatown

Torture re-enactment

Mourning Falun Gong practitioners persecuted to death in China

Ms. Yu Zizhen

Yu Zizhen shared her personal story at the rally. She arrived in the United States less than a year ago. She said that hers was one of the many families torn apart by the brutal persecution in China.

She was born on January 24, 1999. Her father Yu Ming and mother Ma Li were arrested on January 1, 2000 for handing out truth-clarification materials. In the following 10 years, her father was incarcerated three times and detained for nearly eight years. Her memory of her father was basically one labor camp to another, one brainwashing center to another and torture, hunger strikes and electric shocks.

Mr. Yu finally came home in 2009. He was nearly a complete stranger to her. In 2013, Mr. Yu was illegally arrested again.

Ms. Yu hoped her personal story would inspire more people to help end the persecution and set free all imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners.