(Minghui.org) May 13, 2021 is the 22^nd World Falun Dafa Day. Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis sent a greeting letter to “Falun Dafa practitioners in our community including those in Minneapolis, Minnesota and across the United States as they celebrate the 29^th anniversary of the public introduction of Falun Dafa and the 22^nd World Falun Dafa Day.” 

Letter from Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis

The letter reads, “2021 World Falun Dafa celebration brings heightened awareness to the peaceful appeals of practitioners around the world to end the forgotten cold genocide of Falun Dafa practitioners in China. I am proud to join many elected leaders across the country and the globe in opposing the persecution of Falun Dafa/Gong.”

Background: What is Falun Dafa?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Millions of people have embraced the teachings—which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance as well as five gentle exercises—and experienced uplifted health and well-being. 

Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline's growing popularity as a threat to the CCP's atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, issued an order to ban the practice.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 22 years. The actual number is believed to be much higher. More have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply the organ transplant industry.

Under Jiang's personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.