Parade in Montreal Commemorates April 25 Appeal

(Minghui.org) Practitioners in Québec, Canada held a parade in Montreal on the afternoon of April 27, 2025, to commemorate the peaceful appeal in Beijing on April 25, 1999, and calling for an end to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Dafa.

Practitioners held a parade to commemorate the 26^th anniversary of the April 25 Appeal.

On April 25, 1999 approximately ten thousand Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) practitioners peacefully gathered near the National Appeal Office in Beijing, and asked the authorities to release a group of practitioners who were unjustly arrested in Tianjin and for the freedom to practice their belief. Their peaceful and rational appeal drew the attention of international media.

Ms. Li, who coordinated the parade in Montreal, called the appeal the greatest and most peaceful appeal in history. She said that the event in Montreal reflected the unyielding spirit of practitioners’ appeal 26 years ago and showed the strength of their peaceful resistance to the CCP’s persecution.

Headed by the Tian Guo Marching Band, the parade started from Cabot Square at 1 p.m., passed major streets and Chinatown, and ended at Place des Arts.

Ms. Wei participated in the April 25 Appeal and said when she heard practitioners in Tianjin were arrested, she bought a train ticket to Beijing on the evening of April 24 and she and another practitioner went to Beijing the next morning. She said she sat quietly with other practitioners close to the National Appeal Office. Some read Falun Gong books; others meditated. No one shouted slogans or made noise. The atmosphere was peaceful. When practitioner representatives told them that the issue was resolved, they cleaned up the area and left.

Ms. Wei said, “My only wish was to speak out for Falun Dafa. I knew that students calling for democracy had been massacred [in 1989], but since Falun Dafa had given me a second life, I had to speak out.”

Many people said they were impressed by the parade and encouraged by the message practitioners spread.

Paul from the U.S. said, “The parade is very peaceful, and their message is significant. They raised important issues like the persecution and the organ harvesting. It’s encouraging to see them!”

Reberta and Victor from Toronto

Reberta from Toronto said, “I was attracted as soon as I saw the banners. The parade is so peaceful, but it exposed a terrible and shocking crime!”

Victor said, “I support their call to end the organ harvesting!”

Background: What Is the April 25 Appeal?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries worldwide. Millions of people have embraced the teachings—which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance as well as five gentle exercises—and experienced improved health and well-being.

On April 23 & 24, 1999, police officials in Tianjin, a city near Beijing, assaulted and arrested dozens of practitioners who had gathered outside a magazine office to discuss errors in a recently-published article attacking Falun Dafa. As word spread of the arrests and more practitioners inquired with officials, they were told they had to take their appeals to Beijing.

The following day, April 25, some 10,000 Falun Dafa practitioners spontaneously gathered at the Central Appeals office in Beijing, as they had been instructed by Tianjin officials. The gathering was peaceful and orderly. Several Falun Dafa representatives were called in to meet with Chinese Premier, Zhu Rongji, and members of his staff. That evening, practitioners' concerns were answered. The arrested practitioners in Tianjin were released and everyone went home.

Jiang Zemin, former head of the CCP, perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and issued an order to ban Falun Dafa on July 20, 1999.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners due to the persecution over the years; the actual number is suspected to be much higher. More have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply the organ transplant industry.