PRC President Jiang Zemin and his followers have recently tried to paint Falun Gong as an " anti-government subversive force." There have also been more and more cases in which Falun Gong practitioners abroad have been harassed by evil forces.
On October 17th when Texas governor, Republican George W. Bush, and the Vice President, Democrat Al Gore had their last debate at Washington University, Falun Gong practitioners from the midwest displayed exhibits and boards at the university. They hoped to use this chance when the mass media was gathered together to call for recognition and convey their message.
On the baseball field of Washington University that faces the debate, some groups were protesting or appealing. Among them, Falun Gong practitioners were noticeable. Behind a large wreath in memory of 59 Falun Gong practitioners who have been persecuted to death in mainland China, more than 30 Falun Gong practitioners in yellow T-shirts quietly repeated the five sets of Falun Gong exercises. The sight of these peaceful exercises was in stark contrast to the persecution pictures around them that were almost too horrible to look at.
Besides the local practitioners of St. Louis, there were also Falun Gong practitioners from Columbia in Missouri, Kansas City, and over a dozen practitioners who drove overnight and made a special trip from Chicago, Ohio and Iowa, etc. after learning this news.
There were several radio stations and TV stations that came to report. When asked their purpose for coming here, one Falun Gong practitioner from Chicago said: " Because 61 Falun Gong practitioners have already been persecuted to death. And the persecution in Mainland China has been extended to those Falun Gong practitioners who stay at home and practice. Many practitioners have disappeared without reason. We just hope to use this chance to once again appeal to the people around the world. We hope more people will show their support. We urge the Chinese government to stop, as soon as possible, the crackdown and persecution, being manipulated by Jiang Zemin and his followers and to peacefully solve this more than one year longstanding crisis of China and the Chinese people."
In contrast to the noisy protesting groups nearby, the appeal of Falun Gong practitioners was peaceful, gentle, focused and powerful.
Provided by Falun Gong practitioners of St. Louis
October 24th, 2000
