(Clearwisdom.net) On April 25, Falun Gong practitioners from Vienna held a candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate to commemorate the peaceful appeal 11 years ago. Practitioners protested against the persecution of Falun Gong and called for an end to it.

Background:

On April 25, 1999, over 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners in China gathered outside the State Council Appeals Office to demand their basic rights, freedom of belief and the immediate release of 45 fellow practitioners who had been unlawfully arrested. Though as a result of the appeal the Chinese Communist regime promised to protect the practitioners' rights and released the arrested practitioners, three months later, the regime started a nationwide persecution to "eliminate Falun Gong." The brutal persecution has continued for nearly 11 years.