(Minghui.org) Last weekend, Falun Gong practitioners in Vancouver and Montreal joined practitioners around the world in holding activities to commemorate the 19th anniversary of a large-scale peaceful protest in Beijing.

Vancouver

Practitioners and their supporters held a rally and a candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate.

Practitioners rally and hold a candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate on April 21, 2018 to commemorate the April 25 peaceful appeal

Ms. Zhang Su, spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Association in Vancouver said, "We commemorate the courage and dignity displayed by Falun Gong practitioners in China who risk their lives to remain steadfast in their belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. We urge the Chinese Communist regime to immediately stop the persecution of Falun Gong and immediately release all detained practitioners, including Canadian citizen Sun Qian."

Mr. Skillen, president of a hi-tech company in Vancouver and his daughter came to the event to show their support. His family has lived near the Chinese Consulate for 10 years. During those ten years, Mr. Skillen said he's witnessed the peacefulness demonstrated by practitioners in the face of the CCP's repression.

Mr. Skillen and his daughter support efforts to stop the persecution of Falun Gong.

Mr. Skillen previously signed a petition calling for an end to the CCP's live organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners. He said, "The government is supposed to protect people, not harm them. Such a government (the Chinese Communist Party) should not be allowed to be in charge."

When he learned that Canadian citizen Ms. Sun Qian is being persecuted in China for practicing Falun Gong, he said, "A country should not deny people's beliefs, nor do they have the right to deny the beliefs of people of other countries."

Mr. Li Jianfeng said that the April 25 peaceful appeal will be a role model and moral benchmark for future generations.

Mr. Li Jianfeng, a former judge in China came to speak at the rally. He said that when the CCP banned truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance, it promoted falsehood, hatred, and violence, and caused the morals of the Chinese nation to deteriorate, and society to decline. He said that everyone in China is suffering as a result.

"When human morality falls to the brink of collapse, only the divine can turn the heavens and earth to save people,” he said.

Mr. Li Jianfeng called on the Chinese people to allow their own good nature to overcome the CCP’s deception and to separate themselves from it. Then China will once again be blessed by the divine.

Mr. He Jian, Representative of The Epoch Times, Vancouver branch, said that practitioners have never ceased their peaceful efforts to spread the truth and hope despite the 19-year persecution

Mr. He Jian addressed the crowd and said that by March 2018, 300 million Chinese people had quit the CCP and its affiliated youth organizations. More and more Chinese people are awakening. They have seen hope and are filled with optimism. The April 25th peaceful appeal illuminated the path, giving the Chinese people a way to move forward.

Montreal

Practitioners in Montreal rally and demonstrate the exercise in a Chinatown park on April 21, 2018

Passersby stop at the rally to learn more

A man signs a petition calling for an end to the persecution

Mil and Loraine from Michabaila, north of Montreal stopped to learn more and show their support. Mil said, "I am very glad to see you here demonstrating the exercises. It's very good to have this way of life in our city. I would like to learn Falun Gong."

Another young couple, Leo Hamelen-coté and Valeria De Larre, signed the petition and said in unison, "This (the CCP’s live organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners) is terrible!” Leo added, “I think the problem lies with the Chinese Communist regime, who violates human rights."

Nearly 50 Chinese people quit the Party at the rally. After stopping to watch practitioners meditating, Mr. Wang, a student from China, asked if young people practice Falun Gong, as in China qigong practices are more commonly practiced by the elderly. Ms. Ma (a practitioner) told him that many young people practice Falun Gong. There are Falun Gong clubs at prestigious universities such as McGill University and Concordia University. Falun Gong courses are offered at the University of South Carolina at Aiken in the U. S., and are honorary courses for outstanding students. In schools in India, Falun Gong is highly respected. Many schools offer Falun Gong exercise sessions. The headmaster of a private school in India believes that many students who are difficult to discipline have not only improved and overcome their bad behavior, but their homework has also significantly improved after they began practicing Falun Gong.

Mr. Wang said that he wanted to learn the practice. He also asked Ms. Ma to help him quit the CCP's youth organizations to take a stance against the CCP's brutal persecution.