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Flushing New York, the heart of the Chinese community in New York City.
Today hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners gathered here for a parade, to mark a historical appeal on April 25th, 1999.
[Karen Chang, Reporter]
Each year, numerous events are held here for the local community. Organizers of today' event tell us why today's parade is so important.
[Erping Zhang, Falun Gong Spokesman]
"I think it's important to connect with the overseas Chinese here...to clarify the truth about what is Falun Gong, and what is the persecution like in China, and hoping to make the community be aware of the facts."
The 13 year persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual practice began with the peaceful appeal by ten thousand practitioners on April 25th 1999. It was near Zhongnanhai in Beijing, the central compound of the Chinese Communist leadership. The appeal was in response to the beating and arrest of several practitioners in nearby Tianjin city days earlier.
[rping Zhang, Falun Gong Spokesman]
"It was the first time in Chinese history that a civilian group made a rational, peaceful appeal, public appeal before the Communist Party regime."
Three months after that appeal, the then Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin launched a campaign to stamp out Falun Gong. He mobilized the regime's propaganda machine to aid the persecution.
[rping Zhang, Falun Gong Spokesman]
"In order to justify the persecution, the leader of the Communist Party at the time Jiang Zemin called it "besieged", which could not be further from the truth."
Since the persecution, practitioners around the world have undertaken events like today's. Working towards dispelling the Communist Party's propaganda about Falun Gong.
[Jian Chao, Falun Gong Practitioner]
"Those are very peaceful people who just want to pursue their own belief...they believe in truthfulness, compassion and forbearance."
And after 13 years of raising awareness, this message is getting through.
[Passerby]
"Falun Gong.... This is freedom, and democracy, right? This is quite good, quite good."
[Passerby]
"In China, the government is opposed to this, but I only realized when I came to the U.S. that [Falun Gong] is indeed good."
[Passerby]
"This parade is very good, soon Falun Gong will be legal [in China]."
[Karen Chang, Reporter]
Falun Gong practitioners say they will continue to raise awareness about the persecution, so that not only Chinese people, but those around the world will join the call for justice.
Karen Chang, NTD News New York.
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