(Clearwisdom.net) On October 28, 2007, following an invitation from Falun Gong practitioners in Nordrhein-Westfalen (Germany), the European Divine Land Marching Band participated in a parade and truth-clarification activity in Düsseldorf. The band, consisting of Falun Gong practitioners from many European countries, demonstrated the beauty of Falun Dafa.
Düsseldorf was an important industrial city from the 1960s to the 1980s. On the last weekend in October, the city hosted the World Skiing Challenge, attracting enthusiasts from all over the world. With man-made snow along the banks of the Rhine River, people hurried to the river to watch the competition. According to statistics from the city council, more than three hundred fifty thousand people watched this event. Many people from neighboring towns filled the city over the weekend.
Falun Gong practitioners joined this event in order to show people the magnificence of Falun Gong and to expose the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) human rights abuses against practitioners in China, particularly the crime of harvesting organs from living practitioners. The Falun Gong parade was led by the European Divine Land Marching Band, which was followed by banners promoting the principles of Falun Gong - Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and information about quitting the CCP. Practitioners performed traditional Chinese dancing and drumming. They made a tremendous impression in Düsseldorf.
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The parade and truth-clarification activity was held on the busiest street of Düsseldorf, and lasted three and a half hours. Many stopped and watched the Falun Gong practitioners; people cheered and applauded the Divine Land Marching Band. Many people accepted leaflets and were shocked when they found out about the persecution taking place in China. A lot of people signed the petition to stop the Chinese Communist Party's human rights crimes against Falun Gong. People watched the Marching Band's performance with smiles on their faces, and many gave the thumbs up and wished the practitioners success.
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The Divine Land Marching Band members were from Germany, Sweden, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium. Several band members from Switzerland, Belgium and Sweden said that they came to Düsseldorf at their own expense with the aim of letting more people know about Falun Gong - they hope that every Chinese person will know that Falun Gong is good and will recognize the wickedness of the CCP.
Spectators enjoyed the parade and many said that it was excellent. Ms. Soreka, a practitioner from the Netherlands, was very happy that she could take part in the parade and she said she was touched when large numbers of children ran towards the band clapping their hands in delight. She also encouraged Chinese people to join the 27 million brave people who have quit the CCP and its related organizations.
When she learned about the CCP harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners, Ms. Jutta Kruger said she hoped that such crimes would not continue. She said she couldn't even find words to describe the concentration camps and brutal torture in China and she felt that removing organs from living people is simply too shocking to imagine.
Ms. Kruger said, "German chancellor Angela Merkel has just been to China, but she never mentioned anything like this. I don't know if she knew about it, because she never mentioned it. In China there is no freedom of media, they repress student movements, and tourists cannot go to places they want to visit. These are already awful enough and now there's organ harvesting... I really don't know what to say to a China like this. It is truly shocking. I am grateful because I'm not living in that kind of situation in China. I sincerely hope the Chinese people can also enjoy freedom one day."
Throughout the entire event, the police were very supportive of the practitioners. Normally, when parades pass through the town, the police ask them to hurry up. But this time in Düsseldorf, not only did they not ask the parade to speed up, but they also allowed the Falun Gong group to stop and give stationary performances. Afterwards, the organizer of the Falun Gong group thanked the police for giving them some extra time. A female police officer said, "This is what we should be doing right now. Falun Gong practitioners are being persecuted and their organs are being harvested. It is simply too cruel. What you are doing is excellent; you ought to be given even more time!"
