People in Croatia’s Capital Support Practitioners: “If I Could, I Would Sign the Petition Again”

(Minghui.org) Practitioners held an event in Zagreb, Croatia’s capital, on July 18, 2026, calling for an end to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 27-year persecution of Falun Gong.

Practitioners set up a booth at King Tomislav Square in the city center displaying banners and images portraying the persecution and the CCP’s state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting.

Practitioners held an event at King Tomislav Square in Zagreb, Croatia, calling for ending the 27-year persecution of Falun Gong. (Minghui.org)

Practitioners demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises. (Minghui.org)

Practitioners informed passersby about Falun Gong and the persecution. (Minghui.org)

The weather that morning was unpredictable with several heavy downpours, so pedestrians had to walk very quickly at times. While many people passed by in a rush, when they saw the banners they then came to the information booth and asked what they could do to help. Practitioners informed them about Falun Gong and the brutal persecution in China. Many people signed the petition calling for an end to the persecution.

People signed the petition to support practitioners. (Minghui.org)

“If I Could, I Would Sign the Petition Again”

Gordon signed the petition during the event. Later that day, he approached a practitioner again while waiting for transportation. He pointed at a banner and asked, “Could you explain the first picture on this banner?” The practitioner then explained that the picture portrayed a torture method utilized by CCP police where they used a high-voltage electric baton to shock a practitioner’s face.

“This is absolutely horrific and hard to accept, but I understand that it is true. I’ve also heard about how the Uyghurs are illegally detained and tortured by the CCP,” he said. “I support you very much. If I could, I would sign the petition again.”

The practitioner thanked him for his support and recommended that he inform his family and friends about Falun Gong and the persecution. The practitioner also informed him that the event was held not only for the practitioners suffering in China, but also to let more people worldwide know that the CCP has been persecuting kind people, and that persecution could happen to anyone. Gordon agreed with this sentiment.

Journalists Aware of the Ongoing Persecution

A middle-aged man in a black T-shirt and sunglasses walked up to the booth and asked to sign the petition.

“I know all these facts about the persecution. I am a journalist,” he said. He mentioned that he had lived in China for many years and knew a lot. “The persecution suffered by Falun Gong in China is very cruel,” he said.

A middle-aged woman who was passing by also said that she was a journalist and had heard about how the CCP has been persecuting Falun Gong for many years.

“Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance” Turn People’s Heads

A passerby signs the petition. (Minghui.org)

An electric tram station is next to the square, and many passengers were coming and going. In order to inform more passengers about the event, a practitioner named Nikola used a microphone to introduce Falun Gong and explain the persecution multiple times. When he started to speak and greet people, the people who had been chatting while waiting for the tram would quiet down, and pedestrians slowed their pace. People turned their heads to look at the practitioner giving the speech.

Nikola said, “Falun Gong is a type of meditation and spiritual practice based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Learning Falun Gong is completely free. There are now tens of millions of people in over 100 countries and areas practicing Falun Gong.”

When the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance were mentioned, pedestrians put down their phones and looked in the direction of the booth. Some people waiting for the tram also turned their heads to pay close attention.

Nikola continued to explain, “In the 1990s, Falun Gong was widely popular. State media and government officials also highly praised it. However, after one government survey showed that the number of people practicing Falun Gong far exceeded the number of members of the Communist Party, the CCP began to stigmatize Falun Gong, then banned it in July 1999 and launched a brutal suppression against it.

“Falun Gong practitioners who are detained or imprisoned constantly face the risk of losing their lives due to torture, deprivation of medical care, or forced organ harvesting.

“27 years have gone by, but the persecution has not stopped. The CCP has even started a transnational repression and defamatory propaganda against Falun Gong practitioners globally,” he said.

Practitioners also gave out flyers to passersby, who voiced appreciation. “Thank you for letting me know about this information; this is very important,” one person said. “Good luck to you all,” said another.