Canada: Falun Gong Practitioners' Anti-Torture Exhibit Draws Attention at the University of Montreal (Photos)

By Clearwisdom correspondent Zheng Ziyan in Montreal

(Clearwisdom.net) The University of Montreal in Canada celebrated Solidarity Week November 8-12, 2004. Montreal Falun Gong practitioners took the opportunity to introduce Falun Gong to teachers and students at lunchtime each of the five days. They also staged an anti-torture reenactment to expose the crimes of Jiang's group in the persecution of Falun Gong. Audience reaction changed from shock and puzzlement to sympathy. Many people not only supported Falun Gong but also wanted to learn Falun Gong.

Reenactment of two torture methods: Slave labor and confinement in a small metal cage

"Tiger Bench"

Clarifying the truth

Reading and learning about the truth

Ms. Gabrielle Richard, the administrator in charge of the weeklong activity, said that a practitioner student applied to take part in Solidarity Week in order to introduce Falun Gong and expose the brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners taking place in China. "But I didn't expect it to be so brutal," she said, "The exhibit is shocking. It's very necessary to expose such torture so that more people can learn about the truth and spread it to more people."

Mr. Alain Vienneau, who is in charge of Campus Services, said that when he first saw practitioners reenact the torture methods they suffer in China, he really didn't want to look before he learned about the truth. They were, after all, not pleasant-looking pictures. Mr. Vienneau said, "But, after briefly learning the facts, I think everyone can understand better the true situation, as it's difficult to imagine that such things happen in China."

Practitioner Ms. Zhong acted as a torture victim. Every day after finishing her housework, she would come to the campus at noon to reenact the various tortures. She said, "Every day different students pass by, and they are very kind. Though Falun Gong has suffered persecution for over five years, many kind-hearted people still do not know about it. Some people know of the persecution, but they don't know how good Falun Gong is or how brutal the persecution is, because the truth has been covered up by Jiang's regime."

Ms. Zhong painfully curled her body into a small metal cage. She said, "If it were not for telling people the truth, I would not do this even if I were paid a great deal of money. As uncomfortable as I am, this is nothing compared to the tortures practitioners in China suffer. We can only reenact a small sample. The real tortures are too difficult to reenact, but practitioners in China are truly enduring them." Ms. Zhong also said, "We do this to alleviate their (practitioners in China) suffering."

Six to seven western practitioners took turns explaining to teachers and students who stopped to watch. Angel said that close to 75% of them were interested in learning Falun Gong after understanding the goodness of Falun Gong and the evilness of the persecution.

Olivier, the one who had applied for the anti-torture exhibit space, taught French in China in 2003. Chinese authorities drove him out of China for clarifying the truth to Chinese people. Olivier said, "Falun Gong is good, but it is brutally persecuted in China because people don't know the truth. Through such anti-torture exhibits, I hope to tell more people about the facts of Falun Gong and help stop the persecution in China."

Practitioners who participated in the exhibit also commended and expressed their appreciation for the Campus Services Department for their help. Every day after the exhibit, department staff members helped students transfer their cage, costumes, easels, signs, etc., to a campus storeroom. This saved students the inconvenience of transferring all their props between their homes and campus every day.
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2004/11/16/89278.html

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