New Yorkers Invited: Grand March to Mark 20 Years of Persecution and Resilience

NEW YORK – On Thursday, May 16th, more than 8,000 Falun Dafa practitioners and their supporters from over 30 countries will hold a rally and march across Manhattan to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day as well as commemorate those who perished during the brutal 20-year persecution in China.

When?

• May 16th, 9am – 11am: Rally at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in front of the UN headquarters.
• May 16th, 11am – 2pm: Grand parade of 8,000 participants, from 2nd Avenue and 42nd Street across Manhattan to 11th Avenue and 42nd Street.

Where?

• Starting at UN headquarters (Dag Hammarskjold Plaza) and going from 2nd Avenue and 42nd Street across Manhattan to 11th Avenue and 42nd Street.

Why?

• The march will be broadcast around the world and into China via satellite to demonstrate to the Mainland Chinese community how a free society like America embraces those of any peaceful faith, including Falun Dafa.

How Can I Help?

• If you work and/or live in the surrounding area of the parade path come out and show your support!
• Your presence will be an inspiration to millions currently living under the tyranny of the Chinese regime.
• Take photos and share them with your social media community using the hashtag #IAmWithFalunGong.

The march will be broadcast around the world and into China via satellite to demonstrate to the Mainland Chinese community how a free society like America embraces those of any peaceful faith, including Falun Dafa. The organizers invite New Yorkers who work and live in the surrounding area of the parade path to come out and show their support. Their presence will be an inspiration to millions currently living under the tyranny of the Chinese regime.

Those who visit the parade are encouraged to take photos and share them with their social media community using the hashtag #IAmWithFalunGong. By doing so they will become part of the largest movement of peaceful resistance in the modern day.

For those who have never witnessed a Falun Dafa parade, it is equal parts somber and spectacular. Segments of the parade will feature traditional Chinese costume, music, and dance—the beautiful aspects of Chinese culture that the meditation exercise embodies. Others will bear witness to the continuing persecution and the lives lost to it, or highlight various efforts practitioners have taken to counter the persecution.

The event will begin with a large group meditation and rally in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in front of the U.N. from 9am – 11am. Participants will then march down to 42nd Street and across Manhattan to 11th Avenue. The parade will run from 11am – 2pm.

Background

In the 1990s, Falun Gong became widely popular across China and was endorsed by the government. One hundred million people were practicing Falun Gong by 1999. But that July, a few leaders of the Chinese Communist Party launched a violent campaign to “stamp out” the peaceful practice because they viewed its popularity as a threat to the regime’s control. For the past 20 years, and continuing to this day, tens of millions of people across China are at risk of abduction, illegal imprisonment, torture resulting in death. Investigators estimate that large numbers of Falun Gong practitioners in China have been killed so their organs could be sold for profit. In response, Falun Dafa practitioners and their supporters have resisted through sharing information about the practice and the facts of the persecution.

Activity Summary

• May 16, 9am – 11am: Rally at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in front of the UN headquarters.
• May 16th, 11am – 2pm: Grand parade of 8,000 participants, from 2nd Avenue and 42nd Street across Manhattan to 11th Avenue and 42nd Street.

Contact

For more information about all activities, please contact:

Gail Rachlin
 by phone: 917-757-9780
 by email: [email protected]

Carrie Hung
 by phone: 917-319-0219
 by email: [email protected]