Germany: European Celestial Band is a Great Success in Düsseldorf

On 28th October 2007, following an invitation from Falun Gong practitioners in Nordrhein-Westfalen (Germany), the European Celestial Marching Band participated in a parade and gathering in Düsseldorf. The band, consisting of Falun Gong practitioners from many European countries, demonstrated the beauty of Falun Dafa.

Düsseldorf was an important industrial city from the 1960s to the 1980s. On the last weekend in October, the city hosted the World Skiing Challenge attracting enthusiasts from all over the world. Manmade snow was laid on the Rhine riverside. People rushed to the Rhine River to watch the competition. According to statistics from the city council, more than three hundred and fifty thousand people came and watched this event. Many people living in neighbouring towns swarmed into the city.

Falun Gong practitioners joined this event in order to let people see the magnificence of Falun Gong and learn about the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) human rights abuses against practitioners, particularly the crime of harvesting organs from living practitioners. The Falun Gong parade group was led by the European Celestial Band, which was followed by banners promoting the principles of Falun Gong (Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance), Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and quitting the CCP. Practitioners performed traditional Chinese dancing and drumming. This was a tremendous sight in Düsseldorf.

The parade and gathering was held on the busiest street of Düsseldorf for three and a half hours. Everyone stopped and watched the Falun Gong group; people cheered and applauded the Celestial Band. Many people accepted leaflets and were shocked when they found out about the persecution. A lot of people signed the petition to stop the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights crimes against Falun Gong. All the public watched the Celestial Band’s performance with smiles on their faces, and many gave thumbs up to Falun Gong practitioners and wished them success.

The celestial band members who came to participate in the performance were mainly from Germany, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Netherlands and Belgium. A few Celestial Band members from Switzerland, Belgium and Sweden told this reporter that they came to Düsseldorf at their own expense with the aim of letting people know about Falun Gong – they hope every Chinese person will know Falun Gong is good and recognise the wickedness of the CCP.

Regarding the parade, they all thought it was excellent. Ms Soreka from the Netherlands was very happy that she could take part and she said she was touched when many children ran towards the band to give them applause. She encouraged Chinese people to join the 27 million brave people who have quit the CCP and its related organizations.

As for the CCP harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners, Ms Jutta Kruger hoped this would not continue. She said she couldn’t even find words to describe the concentration camps and brutal torture in China and that removing organs from living people is too shocking to imagine.

She then said, “German chancellor Angela Merkel had just been to China, but she never mentioned things like this. I don’t know if she knew about it, because she never mentioned it. In China there is no freedom of media, they repress student movements and tourists cannot go to places they want to visit. These are already awful enough and now there’s organ harvesting... I really don’t know what to say to a China likes this. It is truly shocking. I am grateful because I’m not living in that kind of situations in China and I sincerely hope the Chinese people can also enjoy freedom one day.”

Throughout the entire event, the police were very supportive. Normally, when the parade groups pass through the town, the police ask them to hurry up. But this time in Düsseldorf, not only did they not ask the parade to speed up, but they also allowed the Falun Gong group to stop and perform stationary displays. Afterwards, the organiser of the Falun Gong group thanked the police for giving them some extra time. A female police officer said, “This is what we should be doing right now. Falun Gong practitioners are being persecuted and their organs are being harvested. It is simply too cruel. What you are doing is excellent; you ought to be given even more time!”