(Clearwisdom.net) On the eve of the 12^th anniversary of Falun Gong practitioners' ongoing efforts to end the persecution in China, more than one thousand Falun Gong practitioners from around the world gathered in front of Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. on July 14, 2011. Several American congressmen and representatives from international organizations and non-governmental organizations attended the rally to show their support.

Nicolas Schols from Belgium heard about Falun Gong from a friend before the persecution and started practicing Falun Gong. He feels it is a great cultivation practice. Life started to be better after he started his cultivation in Falun Gong. He said that the practitioners in China were experiencing a terrible persecution. He and his wife came to Washington D.C. to campaign for their fellow practitioners in China. They hoped that the international society would pay attention to the brutal violation of human rights taking place in China.

Peter Sanftmann from Germany started his cultivation practice eight years ago. He said. “Before cultivation practice, I used worry about the next day and couldn't sleep. But I feel more sure since I started practicing Falun Gong. I tell myself, no matter how many goals you have, what you accomplished today is important...Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance are the cornerstones of any nation. These basic principles are rarely put into practice. There are many similar principles in the world, but I feel that they are truly put in practice only in Falun Gong. For example, thousands and thousands of Falun Gong practitioners in China remain steadfast in Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, even facing the life and death situation of the persecution.” Peter was deeply moved when hearing the speeches of congressmen during the rally. He had tears in his eyes. He said that the reason he came to D.C. was to participate in the rally calling for an end to the persecution.

Ms. Shao from Japan participated in the activity in D.C. for the first time. She started practicing Falun Gong in 2003. She was so happy that she could join so many practitioners in the United States. She said that the reason for her trip was that she wished to see the persecution end as soon as possible.

Practitioner Tony Sidhu, who is originally from India, has resided in the U.S. since 2003, and is now a U.S. citizen. He works for an American company in Boston. He said, “I have been longing to come to this activity in Washington D.C., to tell the world that Falun Dafa is great and to call for an end to the persecution in China.” He told the reporter that Falun Gong was growing fast in India. There are many practitioners and Fa-study groups in the big cities of India.

Seventy-three-year-old Mr. Yin had attended Master Li's lecture in Guiyang, China, in 1993. He was very happy to see so many people support Falun Gong. He said, “I was very happy to see people support Dafa with such great sense of righteous thought.” Mr. Yin said the culture of the Communist Party (atheism) had poisoned people. His understanding of the value of life was completely changed after he attended Master Li's lectures. Even though he experienced high pressure during the persecution when he was in China, he didn't give up. He said, “I surely won't give up.” His wife Mrs. Lu also treasures the opportunity to cultivate herself and is determined to do well.