(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners and supporters rallied in front of the Customs House building in downtown Sydney on January 31, 2020. They wanted to raise awareness of the persecution of the spiritual group in China and to celebrate the 350 million Chinese people who have withdrawn from the Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations.

The day of activities started with practitioners demonstrating the five sets of exercises on the plaza in front of the customs building in the early morning and was followed by a rally and speeches.

Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, fewer Chinese tourists have been coming to this popular tourist site. Some Chinese tourists were still around, though, and they listened to the speeches at the rally and took fliers. Some said they would quit the communist party online.

A Chinese Australian came to the rally and gave an impromptu speech after reading an announcement about the event in the Epoch Times.

Chinese Australian: I want to express my respect to the Falun Gong group!

Mr. Wang, a Chinese Australian, gave an impromptu speech at a Falun Gong rally in Sydney on January 31, 2020.

Mr. Wang lived in China for 25 years and said he was acutely aware of the Chinese Communist Party’s evil nature.

He said that he had talked to a Falun Gong practitioner at a tourist site while he was in Australia on vacation, and he quit the party. He later emigrated to Australia. He decided to attend the rally after reading an announcement in the Epoch Times newspaper.

“I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest respect to the Falun Gong group. You have been clarifying the truth for 20 years, rain or shine, to awaken and rouse them, helping them understand the truth,” said Wang.

“Those who live in Mainland China are in deep water and scorching fire, deceived by lies, brainwashed by the regime's education. The hope for China is every ordinary citizen really awakening, so that the communist party can truly, meaningfully be disintegrated. I really want to express, if you give me a minute today, I want to express my deepest respect to the Falun Gong group.”

The CCP has launched numerous political campaigns that have killed millions of Chinese such as the “Great Cultural Revolution,” the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4, 1989, the persecution of Falun Gong since 1999, cracking down on citizen groups for trying to safeguard their rights, and mass arrests of human rights lawyers.

“Now is the time to dissemble this unpardonable communist party. Heaven bless China, heaven eliminate the communist party!” Wang said.

'My heart is always with you'

Adrian Dormer of Brisbane said, “I want to send a message to the Falun Gong (practitioners) being persecuted in China that my heart is always with you and you should do what you think is right.”

Adrian Dormer of Brisbane had heard of Falun Gong and the persecution in China before and said he is angry that a regime is killing a group people and selling their organs because of their faith.

“How can the communist party do this to humankind? They just want to embrace the spirit of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. Why is the party so afraid of them?” he asked.

Dormer said he would post information on his Facebook account and let his friends and followers know about the persecution. “I want to send a message to the Falun Gong being persecuted in China that my heart is always with you and you should do what you think is right!”

'Falun Gong is doing a very remarkable thing!'

Mr. Selke of Sydney said Australia could benefit from understanding the nature of communism.

Sydney resident Mr. Selke has seen Falun Gong practitioners’ activities for many years and said, “Falun Gong is doing a very remarkable thing!”

He explained that he was worried that some Australians and their companies believe in and work with the Chinese Communist Party, but they don’t understand what communism is.

“There is no human rights there [in China]. They just want to control the people. If [the party] believes you did something wrong, you will disappear. The more we know the nature of communism, the more Australia can benefit from the knowledge,” he said.

' Rally raises awareness'

Olivia, a tourist from Melbourne, works in a medical center. She used to work for a healthcare organization that assists with organ transplants. She was very worried that organs used in transplants in China are related to the persecution of Falun Gong.

She had visited China during her high school years and started paying attention to the organ harvesting crimes while she was in college.

“The rally is very peaceful. I like it very much,” Olivia said. “The rally raises awareness. I will share with my friends what I hear and see here.”

American tourist Samuel likes Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance very much and believes the United States is fighting the Chinese Communist Party for freedom.

Desna, a tourist from Macedonia, said the persecution of Falun Gong is very bad. Falun Gong has done nothing wrong and “Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance” are the best principles anyone could follow.

Some local Chinese and Chinese tourists listened to the speeches at the rally and decided to quit the communist party and organizations.