(Clearwisdom.net) On May 3, the Falun Gong Club of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities celebrated World Falun Dafa Day at Northrop Square. The practitioners set up a booth and displayed bright-colored banners. Several professors gave speeches at the event. Dr. Barb Frey, director of the Human Rights Program in the College of Liberal Arts, said that the Chinese (Communist) government has been repeatedly lying on the Falun Gong issue and they tried to cover up the persecution. She said that many independent investigations have shown that the persecution exists and is very severe. She emphasized that the peaceful Falun Gong practitioners should not be persecuted for their belief.

Dr. Kirk C Allison, Associate Director of the Program in Human Rights and Medicine, focused on the CCP's (Chinese Communist Party) atrocities of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. Dr. Allison was recently involved in a global investigation on organ transplantation in China. He pointed out that more and more organizations have learned that the Chinese government has been systematically harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners and started to boycott such atrocities. For example, he said that two Australian hospitals refused to use organs from China. He urged more people and organizations to speak out to condemn the atrocities and take concrete steps to end them.

History professor Richard Kagan from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota also attended the event. He emphasized that Falun Gong is a symbol of traditional Chinese culture and Falun Gong practitioners should not be persecuted. Professor Kagan said that he had been invited to participate in a Belgian forum on human rights in China and he would give a speech on the persecution of Falun Gong.

Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, was introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in 1992. Falun Dafa is now practiced in more than 80 countries and has received countless awards and proclamations in recognition of the practice's outstanding contribution to society. Starting in the year 2000, proposed by practitioners outside China, May 13 has been recognized by practitioners worldwide as World Falun Dafa Day.