(Minghui.org) “They're very peaceful, rational and solemn. You can feel their feelings from their facial expressions. Very touching,” said a police officer at a candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles on October 15, 2015.
Over 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners held candles to commemorate fellow practitioners tortured to death for their beliefs by the communist regime in China. They called to prosecute former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Jiang Zemin, who ordered the violent suppression of Falun Gong in 1999. Since then, more than 3,800 practitioners have been killed in police custody.
More than 190,000 practitioners and their family members have filed criminal complaints against Jiang to the Supreme People's Court in Beijing since the end of May 2015.
Falun Gong practitioners hold a candlelight vigil in front of Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles to commemorate practitioners killed in the persecution in China.
Some participants held large banners with the words “Falun Dafa is good,” “Stop the Chinese Communist Party's live organ harvesting,” “Bring Jiang Zemin to justice,” etc. Some held portraits of fellow practitioners who were killed in the persecution. The solemn, peaceful scene touched passersby and police officers on site.
Spokesperson Mr. Yingnian Wu of the Los Angeles Falun Dafa Association said, “Jiang Zemin ordered the 16-year-long persecution. It is the largest human rights disaster in the world. Falun Gong practitioners follow the principle Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and exercise their rights according to the Constitution. Explaining the persecution to world's people and to correct the CCP's lies is legal.” He called for help to stop the persecution in China.
Practitioners Aleksandr Nimenko and his wife Armina from Ukraine
Aleksandr Nimenko and his wife Armina stood on the roadside during the vigil. Aleksandr learned Falun Gong in 2001. His wife took up the practice in 2008.
“We come here from Ukraine,” said Aleksandr. “We have a clear purpose for this trip. It's not only for us to get a legal and free environment for Falun Gong practitioners in China, but it's also for those passersby. We're eager to let them know about the persecution and take a stance against the CCP's crimes.”
When asked why he finds the persecution in China important as a foreigner, he said, “Falun Gong practitioners throughout the world are one body. We feel sorrow for our fellow practitioners in China who are being persecuted and tortured. We know the evil nature of communism. Ukraine suffered under Soviet rule for over 30 years. The Communist Party is a killing machine. Its existence would lead to more innocent people losing their lives. The persecution of Falun Gong in China is worse than the persecution by the former Soviet communist party.”
A police officer on duty said, “This is an important event to let others know what has happened. It would draw people's attention. Someone can understand when seeing the portraits, even though he may not know what happened.”
A couple living nearby passed by the venue and stopped to watch the vigil. The husband said he had seen Falun Gong practitioners protest there for years. “It's the most peaceful protesting group I've ever seen,” he recalled. Learning that people are filing criminal complaints against Jiang Zemin, they agreed, “He must be brought to justice.”
