United Kingdom: Promoting Falun Gong in England’s Biggest Town

Huddersfield is said to be the biggest town in England. On October the 22nd 2004 Falun Gong practitioners in Huddersfield and from neighbouring areas held an activity to promote Falun Gong and raise awareness about the persecution in the town centre.

The weather was relatively gloomy and it was raining heavily. The practitioners’ gazebo had been blown down several times by gusts of wind and its struts were bent. The petitions, Dafa leaflets and Video-CDs put on the table had been blown to the ground several times. Regardless of the strong wind and pouring rain, the practitioners determinedly handed out leaflets and told people the truth. When being informed that over 1000 Falun Gong practitioners have been tortured to death in China, passers-by signed the petition without hesitation. Meanwhile, many of them inquired about the local practice site where they can learn the exercises for free.

One middle-aged woman coming from the far end of the street signed the petition directly without talking to any of the practitioners. At that moment the wind was blowing strongly, whipping across and shaking our gazebo. Seeing this, several kids rushed to the gazebo to lean against its struts in their attempt to prevent it from collapsing. The kids asked the middle-aged woman, “What are you signing?” She replied “I am signing a petition in an effort to help release their persecuted relatives, many of whom were tortured to death,” replied the woman. “Torture? Then I will sign the petition, too. But are they your relatives?” “No,” answered the woman. “Then why?” The woman continued with determination in her voice, “People around the world are our families, our relatives! We are brothers and sisters!”

During the petition-signing campaign, we were also encouraged by the locals to go on with our activities. There was one Chinese person who had just started to read Zhuan Falun [the main text of Falun Dafa cultivation practice] but had not yet learned to practise the exercises. He also came to participate in our activities, handing out leaflets and telling people the facts in the rain.

During the petition-signing campaign, we happened to encounter two local residents to whom we had introduced the truth of Falun Gong. Eager to learn the exercises, they had already attempted to contact local Falun Gong practitioners to find out about the local practice site. During today’s activities, they met us again and were informed of the location of the local practice site.

Unswayed by the foul weather, the practitioners continued with the truth-clarification activities. Practitioners are keenly aware of people’s eagerness to understand the truth of Falun Gong.