Geneva, Switzerland: City Council Members Support Falun Dafa Practitioners at Event Marking April 25 Appeal

(Minghui.org) Practitioners held activities near Geneva City Hall (l’Hôtel de Ville) on April 19, 2024, to mark the 25^th anniversary of the April 25 Appeal. Several Geneva City Council members spoke at the events to express their support for practitioners.

Practitioners did the exercises and raised awareness of the persecution near Geneva City Hall on April 19.

Several practitioners demonstrated the Falun Dafa exercises while others distributed fliers, clarified the truth, and collected signatures calling for an end to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution. The peaceful scene drew many people to stop and watch. Several legislators greeted the practitioners enthusiastically and spoke in support of Falun Dafa. Some tourists talked to practitioners and asked for more information about the practice.

Mayor of Geneva: Freedom of Belief Is the Most Basic Value

Mayor Alfonso Gomez of the City of Geneva (Internet photo)

Alfonso Gomez, Mayor of Geneva, said, “I can say in the name of the City of Geneva that our city always attaches great importance to freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of belief, and for us this is the most fundamental value. Therefore, we respect democracy, we respect each other, we attach great importance to these values, and we support every activity launched in this spirit in our own country or internationally.”

Legislators Condemn the Persecution

Francois Baertschi, Member of the Grand Council of the Canton of Geneva and Chairman of the Geneva Civic Movement Party (Internet photo)

Mr. Francois Baertschi has been speaking out on behalf of Falun Dafa practitioners since the beginning of the persecution. He said, “Normally we do not interfere in the affairs of other countries. However, when this unacceptable behavior occurs, it is true that we cannot remain silent. So we stand with the victims and hope for a solution that will move in the right direction. I believe one should always keep hope.”

Marjorie de Chastonay, member of the Grand Council of the Canton of Geneva, signed to support an end to the persecution.

Ms. Marjorie de Chastonay said, “Falun Gong has been persecuted in China for 25 years, so it is important for us, as members of the Green Party in Geneva, to support the activities of the persecuted because this is a matter of safeguarding basic rights and human rights. For 25 years they [Falun Gong] have worked hard to fight the persecution, show the truth, and strive to have their voices heard. I think we should hear them and be aware that the persecution is still happening in China.”

Jean-Luc von Arx, Center Party Member of the Geneva City Council (Internet photo)

Mr. Jean-Luc von Arx said, “I would first like to express my admiration to you for the work you have done [to counteract the persecution]. You have persisted for 25 years. In our country, we are lucky to have democracy, and we understand very well the kind of confrontation you are carrying out, and we are impressed and surprised to see you repeating this task with some degree of regularity. Bless you for what you do. I hope this voice is finally heard.”

Carole Fumeaux, secretary-general of the non-governmental organization International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism (LICRA), stopped at the event. She said she was deeply moved when she saw practitioners doing the exercises and signed the petition to express her support for their efforts to expose the persecution.

People sign the petition to end the persecution.

The street where the council is located is also a tourist attraction, so it was crowded with people. Passersby stopped to watch practitioners demonstrate the exercises and took photos with their mobile phones. Some people took informational materials, read them, and signed the petition.

Background: What Is the April 25 Appeal?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries worldwide. Millions of people have embraced the teachings—which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance as well as five gentle exercises—and experienced improved health and well-being.

On April 23 and 24, 1999, police officials in Tianjin, a city near Beijing, assaulted and arrested dozens of practitioners who had gathered outside a magazine office to discuss errors in a recently-published article attacking Falun Dafa. As word spread of the arrests and more practitioners inquired with officials, they were told they had to take their appeals to Beijing.

The following day, April 25, some 10,000 Falun Dafa practitioners spontaneously gathered at the Central Appeals office in Beijing, as they had been instructed by Tianjin officials. The gathering was peaceful and orderly. Several Falun Dafa representatives were called in to meet with Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and members of his staff. That evening, the practitioners' concerns were answered. The arrested practitioners in Tianjin were released and everyone went home.

Jiang Zemin, former head of the CCP, perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and issued an order to ban Falun Dafa on July 20, 1999.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners due to the persecution over the years; the actual number is suspected to be much higher. More have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply the organ transplant industry.