United States: Practitioners' Appeal During G8 Summit Moves People to Express Kindhearted Gestures of Support\

From June the 8th to June the 10th, the G8 summit was held near Savannah and Brunswick, Georgia. Coinciding with the summit, many Falun Gong practitioners from all corners of the U.S. participated in a large-scale torture exhibition and "Journey of Falun Dafa" photo exhibition to raise awareness of the persecution in China. Meanwhile, practitioners also held numerous Falun Gong exercise demonstrations and distributed thousands of truth-clarifying flyers. The torture exhibition included real-life models and photos with detailed explanation. The vivid torture exhibition deeply impressed Savannah and Brunswick citizens and government officials. After learning the truth, many people used different ways to express their support to Falun Gong practitioners. Below are some touching stories happened during the summit:

Explaining torture methods used in China to persecute Falun Gong practitioners	Interviewing a local Native American leader
Learning Falun Gong exercises	Viewing torture photos

Explaining persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China to local civilians
Viewing torture photos

Interviewing a local Native American leader
A Brunswick Police Captain's wife (second from left) made a cake for practitioners
Learning Falun Gong exercises

1. On June 8 and 9, the torture exhibition was held in Brunswick. During the two-day exhibition, Brunswick Mayor Mr. Brown brought many city officials to view the exhibition. Mr. Brown told practitioners that he had read Falun Gong information in the past, but he still did not have a clear understanding of the persecution. Having seen this exhibition, however, he was shocked and realised how severe and urgent the situation in China was. He thus encouraged all the people in his city, through a radio broadcast, to come to view this torture exhibition and learn about what happening in China. He said that they (Brunswickians) were very lucky to learn the truth of Falun Gong. He said, "The city is all yours. You have done very well. We will support your good course all the way." Mr. Brown said that he should also practise the Falun Gong exercises to relieve stress.

2. Kevin Jones, director of Brunswick Public Relations, called a talk show of a local TV station on the evening of June 8 to call on the public to go to view the exhibition and learn about Falun Gong. He also called the media of a number of nearby cities and encouraged them to come to report the exhibition and interview practitioners.

3. Police Chief Ms. Johnson told practitioners that she had been watching practitioners the whole time. She saw practitioners sitting peacefully in the hot sun all day during the first day. On the second day, the practitioners sat as peacefully as usual in a thunderstorm. She said that practitioners were incredible and so impressive. Not needing to hear any explanation, she said, "Your action has told everything, you are so peaceful, rational and disciplined." After a practitioner told her more truth of the persecution, she called her police officers and recommended them to come to view the exhibition. She said over the phone, "Falun Gong is great! It is incredible." She also told a practitioner, "I will put Falun Gong photos and materials in our police department building, and we will write to Chinese police and tell them that the Chinese police who persecute Falun Gong have shamed the name and Honor of all police around the world." She also called media in other major cities and requested them to come to cover the exhibition.

4. When practitioners contacted police captain Bruce to apply for a venue for the torture exhibition, Mr. Bruce said that we need not worry and the police department would give us the best spot. "We will promote you in the best way," Captain Bruce said. Mr. Bruce also called his wife and all the people he knew and asked them to come to view the torture exhibition and learn about the truth of Falun Gong. After his wife viewed the exhibition, she told more people to come. The next day, his wife made a huge cake and brought it to show her respect and care to practitioners.

5. On June 9 and June 10, the torture exhibition was held in Savannah. The officer who is in charge of city tourism came to exhibition and told practitioners, "We gave you the best street park of our downtown, so that you would not be mixed in with other protesters." He also emailed all the personnel of the city government to encourage them to come to view the exhibition. He came to the street park many times to help practitioners solve problems and inconveniences.

6. A security guard of the Savannah city hall came to view the torture exhibition with his family. When he saw president Bush's helicopter flying over his head, he told practitioners, "President Bush should come to view this exhibition, he should know what is happening in China." He also expressed a desire to learn Falun Gong.

7. Lynn Frey, city lawyer of Brunswick told practitioners, "Such an exhibition is very educational to Americans, especially to children." The lawyer indeed brought his wife and child to view the exhibition. When he heard about the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin, he said, "Jiang orchestrated such a brutal persecution. You should have sued him a long time ago."

8. An Indian tribe leader from Arizona, while sitting on a bench, watched the torture exhibition for 5 hours. He told practitioners, on behalf of all native Americans, that under the sky, the sun, the moon, and stars, he witnessed the most vicious and evil persecution in the history of mankind. "In a world with respect to gods, we live in harmony with each other in our motherland. This persecution brought pain and sadness to my heart. Let's end this persecution together and continue our beautiful journey to our home, (paraphrasing)" the tribe leader said.

9. June 10 was the last day of the torture exhibition, a Caucasian elder asked a practitioner, "I am a Christian. Can you tell me how your Master views Jesus?" The practitioner told him, "Our Master said that Jesus is a great god who came to save people. The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China is very much like the persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire." The elder then told the practitioner, "I will tell all the people in our church to pray for Falun Gong practitioners and tell them not to buy products produced by Chinese labour camps." After he left, another civilian told the practitioner, "Do you know who you were talking with? He is the founder of our Seminary, and he is also the priest of two large churches."

10. On the last day of the torture exhibition, a young man lingered around the exhibition for a long time. A practitioner then talked with him more and found out that he wanted to learn more about Falun Gong. He told practitioners that he didn't know that behind many popular toys there were such sad stories of practitioners and other prisoners who were forced to do slave labour. He would tell his friends and relatives not to buy products of Chinese labour camps. He also wished he could have learned about such a good practice sooner. He said that Falun Gong was what he had been searching for. He asked whether or not Savannah had practice site(s) and he wanted to learn Falun Gong as soon as possible.

11. Savannah is famous tourist attraction, and there were buses of tourists passing by practitioners' exhibition continuously. Many tour guides who had learned about the truth of the persecution told their tourists about the persecution in China, and many tourists expressed their sympathy and support. A tour guide also invited practitioners to come back to Savannah often to clarify truth of Falun Gong and the persecution. Though he is not rich, he offered to host practitioners and promised to take good care of the practitioners.