(Clearwisdom.net) April 25 from New York City, reporter Zeng Zhiyuan of Central News Agency: Falun Gong practitioners in many places in the United States and Canada, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Vancouver and Toronto, peacefully appealed in front of Chinese Consulates and held candlelight vigils to commemorate the event three years ago, when about 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners went to Beijing to appeal, culminating in the persecution by Jiang's regime.

The Falun Dafa Information Center (FDIC), headquartered in New York City, pointed out that during the past 3 years, Jiang's regime has not let up in their criminal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Following the March 5^th truth-clarifying Falun Gong broadcast in Changchun City this year, Jiang even issued a "kill without pardon" order against the practitioners. So far about 5,000 practitioners in Changchun have been arrested and more than 100 have been killed.

The 10,000 or so practitioners went to Beijing to appeal on April 25, 1999 to ask for the release of practitioners who were arrested in Tianjin, a city close to Beijing. FDIC called attention to the fact that the reaction of Jiang's group to this peaceful appeal was to launch an unprecedented nationwide bloody persecution, which is why practitioners in China and overseas have been holding their own peaceful appeals.

The commemoration activities in New York City included the candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate, the press conference in front of City Hall, group practice in Chinatown and playing of the Falun Gong truth-clarifying footage that was broadcast on Changchun Cable TV.

In Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, and other places, practitioners also held candlelight vigils in front of the Chinese Consulates, in order to appeal to the Chinese government and to mourn those practitioners who have been tortured to death in China.