On April 19, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners held a parade and rally in Flushing, New York, to commemorate a pivotal 1999 appeal in Beijing and support the 440 million people who have renounced the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The event marks the lead-up to April 25—the 26th anniversary of a peaceful gathering by 10,000 practitioners in Beijing, calling for the freedom to practice their faith. Just months later, on July 20, 1999, the CCP launched a brutal crackdown against the group.
Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice based on the principles of truth, compassion, and tolerance, combined with five meditative exercises. Introduced in the early 1990s, it quickly gained popularity in China, with state estimates suggesting one in every 13 people practiced it.
After the CCP began persecuting Falun Gong in 1999 and spreading propaganda against it, The Epoch Times responded in 2004 by publishing the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, exposing the regime’s abuses and sparking a global “Quit the CCP” movement. Over 440 million people have since renounced the CCP and its affiliated organizations.
“This is a sign of a great awakening in China,” said Wang Zhiyuan, chair of the Global Service Center for Quitting the CCP and president of WOIPFG, at the April 19 rally in Flushing. “The communist regime is collapsing, and history is being made.”
The rally featured speakers including Zhang Erping, spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Information Center; Martha Flores-Vazquez, New York State Assembly District Leader; entrepreneur Jacqui Phillips; Wei Libin of the China Democracy and Human Rights Alliance; April 25 appeal participant Ren Guoxian; eyewitness Zhang Guiying; and An Qiang, who renounced the CCP.
A vibrant parade preceded the rally, featuring a marching band, dragon dance, Falun Gong exercise demonstrations, drum teams, banners, and flags. The Epoch Times, known for its coverage of human rights issues in China, also took part.
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