This was the first time that practitioners participated in this event. They set up a booth to introduce Falun Gong and expose Chinese Communist Party's inhumane persecution of the practice. They also offered free Falun Gong classes. Many people who learned the facts signed a petition calling for an end to the persecution.

On October 31, Ms. Ren, a Chinese lady living in Munich, Germany, happened upon Falun Gong practitioners' peaceful demonstration against the persecution and encouraging Chinese people to quit the Chinese Communist Party activity. She expressed her support and asked what she could do for them.

In 2005, there were large scale arrests locally, and more than a dozen practitioners were arrested, and sentenced to prison for up to five years. In order to avoid being arrested, Ms. Chai Shuzhi, 37, fled her home. For the past four years, due to living under harsh conditions, Ms. Chai appeared very ill. In May 2009, Ms. Chai had to return to her mother's home for treatment. The local police kept harassing her. She died on September 10th, 2009, with her eyes wide open, unable to find peace amidst the relentless persecution.

Mr. Ding Guangcheng was arrested in May 2001. He was brutally tortured and sentenced to six years of imprisonment in February 2002. He suffered a lot at the Tianjin Prison. During his detention in a police station in 2001 he recounts: "Officers beat us and punched our faces. Two of my teeth were knocked out. They made us take off our clothes, leaving us in only our underpants, and then poured water on us. We had to stand in a puddle while they gave us electric shocks on our chests, belly buttons, necks, and the other sensitive areas on our bodies. They tortured us for several hours."

The Sanshui Women's Forced Labour Camp utilises brutal methods to force Falun Gong practitioners to "transform". The guards usually lock the practitioner in a small cell and disallow all contact. Even taking a walk in the small cell requires authorisation from the guards, not to mention other activities. There is no freedom in the forced labour camp, yet practitioners have to endure even more inhumane persecution and suffering in the small cell.

Ms. Liu Ronghua was arrested on September, 23rd, 2009. She is being detained in Yaojia Detention Centre. Those in charge didn't allow her family to visit her. Police found her ex-husband and acquired some useful information and "evidence" on Ms. Liu from him, planning to further persecute her. Ms. Liu is a lecturer and well-respected in the field of education in Dalian City. Because she lost her job due to the persecution and was forced to divorce her husband, she has relied on the rent of the house that her ex-husband left her, and has never borrowed money to survive.

When she learned that I knew only a few characters and had difficulty studying the Fa, she not only taught me to read, but also gave me an MP3 player. When I tried to pay her, she refused to take anything, and urged me to study the Fa and cultivate my xinxing (character, heart and mind nature).

Gradually my father and my children had righteous thoughts and no longer opposed me. Now when I am telling their classmates and friends the facts about Falun Gong and persuade them to quit the CCP, they also help me. Sometimes they help me to distribute materials. When I went out to distribute pamphlets, my son said to me, "Mom, please don't stay out too long."

Falun Gong practitioners in Japan participated in the 5th Iichan Culture Festival in Kamiina-Gun, Nagano Prefecture on Oct. 31st and Nov. 1st, 2009 and introduced the benefits of Falun Gong.