(Minghui.org) More than 500 people signed a petition calling for an end to the Chinese state-sanctioned organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners, during a three-hour signature drive in downtown Brisbane at dusk on April 17, 2015.

Public awareness of this crime has been increasing following Australia's national network SBS' Dateline program-- “Human Harvest: China's Organ Trafficking,” a documentary screened on April 7, 2015.

Some people learned about the horrendous crimes from the SBS documentary, while others became aware through this signature drive. They were deeply disturbed and saddened that the illegal organ harvesting is state-sanctioned. They called upon governments and the media to take action to help stop the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) crimes against humanity.

People of different nationalities sign a petition in downtown Brisbane, calling for an end to forced organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners.

Practitioners demonstrate the Falun Gong exercises

People of Various Professions Deeply Concerned and Supportive of Efforts to End Forced Organ Harvesting

Jessie Lawson, who works at Queensland Urban Utilities, said that he was very sad when he watched the SBS documentary, and found it hard to imagine that a government like the CCP covertly kills its people for their organs to fuel a lucrative organ transplant industry. He was glad that he was given an opportunity to sign a petition to help end this heinous atrocity.

Darcy Lowe, who works in the catering industry, was astonished that she had been kept in the dark all these years while something as horrible as forced organ harvesting was taking place in China. She said she feels that the government and the media should do more to inform the public about such severe human rights abuses, and that everyone should be concerned about it.

Nadia Buach, a student from Germany, said she signed the petition two years ago in Germany, but obviously the CCP has not stopped the atrocity. She said that no one should think that it has nothing to do with them.

Witnesses of “Live Organ Bank” in China

Annie and John Meng are both Falun Gong practitioners who were persecuted before they left China, for upholding their beliefs in Falun Gong. They were both held in the CCP's “live organ bank,” and were at risk of being killed for their organs at any moment.

Annie recalled her experience while incarcerated at Beijing Legal Training Center, a brainwashing facility. She was tied to a bed spread-eagled, for holding a hunger strike to protest the persecution. A doctor surnamed Zhao drew her blood once a week using a very thick syringe. He told her repeatedly that he was the one who would write her death report.

Mr. Meng said he was imprisoned for many years in China and had his blood drawn generally once or twice a year. All Falun Gong practitioners were given detailed ECG examinations to check if their hearts were healthy, but normal inmates weren't subjected to such examinations.