Thursday, April 4, 2002

(Clearwisdom.net) St. Stephen's Square in Vienna was the scene of an eight-hour-long information event and sit-in demonstration on March 28, 2002. The square is in the heart of Vienna and was the perfect place to alert people to the recent happenings in Changchun, Jilin Province, China, where 5,000 Falun Dafa practitioners have been unlawfully arrested and another 100 have died as a result of severe torture.

The peaceful sit-in demonstration site was clearly marked by two huge placards. One read, "HELP STOP THE MERCILESS EXECUTION OF FALUN DAFA PRACTITIONERS BY JIANG ZEMIN." The other one was labeled, "SOS -- 5,000 INCARCERATED, 100 DEAD IN CHANGCHUN/CHINA SINCE THE BEGINNING OF MARCH."

Since it was a brilliantly beautiful day, huge crowds emerged onto St. Stephen's Square. Many stopped and looked at the banners and posters. They approached the information table and requested additional information about the practitioners [in Changchun]. Several visitors watched the exercise demonstrations and many could not fathom why people are being hunted, persecuted and killed for doing such peaceful and harmonious movements. One of the visitors was a Viennese lawyer who spoke at length with a practitioner. He wanted detailed information so that he could get a good grip on the situation. He did not know Falun Dafa. At the end of the conversation he was disconcerted about the gruesome persecution, but encouraged that practitioners often have a table there so that more people can learn the truth; he wished us the best of luck.

There were many like him who had never heard of or had heard very little of Falun Gong and were only familiar with Jiang's propaganda through his regime. They sought information and took brochures with them. Others wanted to find out practice times and locations close to their living areas. The response to us was altogether positive and many people said encouraging words. People congregated until late at night. That's how many tourists from all over, including some from China, were able to be informed about the current atrocities in Changchun.

The following evening we held another sit-down demonstration, in conjunction with a candlelight vigil.