Flushing, New York: Grand March Commemorates Peaceful Appeal in China 27 Years Ago

(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners around the world held events to commemorate the peaceful appeal that took place in Beijing on April 25, 1999.

On April 25, 2026, practitioners in the Greater New York area held a grand march and rally in downtown Flushing, home to New York City’s largest Chinese community, to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the peaceful appeal. After the march, practitioners held a rally next to the Flushing Library, during which community leaders and other speakers gave speeches. They expressed their support for practitioners and praised their efforts to expose the persecution.

Twenty-seven years ago, 10,000 Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) practitioners went to the State Council’s Central Petition Office in Beijing on April 25, 1999 to peacefully appeal. They requested that the practitioners recently detained in Tianjin be released, a legal environment to practice Falun Gong, and that the Falun Gong books allowed to be published. This event was regarded by many in the international community as the largest peaceful protest in Chinese history. However, it was subsequently distorted by then Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Jiang Zemin as an “attack on Zhongnanhai,” and a nationwide suppression was soon launched in July.

Led by Tian Guo Marching Band, the march in Flushing was composed of three sections: “Falun Dafa Is good,” “Stop the Persecution of Falun Gong,” and “Support the 460 Million People Who Have Withdrawn from the CCP.”  

Falun Gong practitioners held a march on April 25 in downtown Flushing to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the peaceful appeal.

As the resounding music of Tian Guo Marching Band filled the streets with powerful drumbeats, people stopped to watch, and some took out their phones to take photos.

The march included many people from different backgrounds. Martha Flores-Vazquez, a Flushing community leader who has long supported practitioners, and her friends, walked alongside practitioners and carried banners. Many Chinese supporters also walked in the march and carried banners that read “Support Falun Gong.” Some said they took time off work or came in from out of state to join the event and uphold the freedom of belief.

Chinese residents displayed banners in support of Falun Gong practitioners (Screenshot courtesy The Epoch Times)

Chinese Teacher: Profound Significance in Awakening Civic Consciousness

Mingzhou De, a Chinese teacher, came to the United States from Inner Mongolia two years ago.

Chinese teacher Mingzhou De made a special trip to the rally to show his support. Speaking about the April 25 appeal in 1999, he believes it was a starting point for the awakening of the Chinese people. Due to the event’s great significance for China, he feels that future generations will definitely commemorate what happened on April 25, 1999.

De said that the practitioners’ demands were reasonable. “They are inherent human rights and are consistent with the Chinese Constitution. However, the CCP brutally suppressed them and even made up propaganda to defame the group.

“Like a rare glimmer of light in the darkness, the peaceful appeal in 1999 rekindled hope in the hearts of many Chinese people. The persecution also made the Chinese people completely despair of the CCP,” De continued. He mentioned that many horrific events occurred afterward, such as the 27-year suppression of Falun Gong, including live organ harvesting.

“The crimes that the CCP has committed against the people are countless and intolerable. Therefore, I strongly support the righteous actions of Falun Gong practitioners.” he added. De said it took a process to understand Falun Gong. Initially, he knew little of the practice; later, he heard about organ harvesting of practitioners by the CCP and saw his kind neighbors and relatives being persecuted and imprisoned for practicing Falun Gong. He began to feel sympathy for them.

Later, upon learning about the continued efforts of Falun Gong practitioners and their perseverance in their faith, De began to admire them. “I admire Falun Gong practitioners’ consistent efforts to speak out, along with their sense of justice, and the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance that Falun Gong advocates,” he said. “Therefore, I participate in and support many of the Falun Gong practitioners' activities."

Chinese Blogger: The Practitioners' Patience and Commitment Are Awe-Inspiring

Moses, a well-known Chinese blogger, spoke at the rally that day to express his support for Falun Gong practitioners.

Prominent Chinese blogger Moses spoke during the rally and expressed his support for Falun Gong practitioners. After the rally, he said the peaceful appeal of 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners 27 years ago was of great historical significance and was a “groundbreaking” event. He explained, “The practitioners’ patience and unwavering commitment to peace are truly awe-inspiring.”

Speaking about his many years in the United States, Moses said that his understanding of the Falun Gong community underwent a transformation. Initially, he was influenced by CCP propaganda. However, seven years ago, witnessing the Falun Gong practitioners’ march in New York for the first time changed his perspective.

He recalled, “It was a Falun Gong march in Manhattan on Columbus Day. Seeing their calm faces, which stemmed from the power of their faith, deeply moved me. I felt that this was the effect of the foundation of faith.”

He felt that only the power of faith could bring people inner peace and such a serene countenance. He said that he was deeply moved every time he saw Falun Gong practitioners’ marches over the years.

He also said that today’s march, as always, demonstrated the foundation of faith. “Such events have brought out the traditional virtues of the Chinese community—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. Falun Gong’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are the most shining parts of the spirit of this community,” he added.

Former Bank Employee: Resisting Persecution Is the Responsibility of All Citizens.

Liu Siyang, who worked at the head office of a bank in Beijing, said he was deeply moved by the practitioners’ march.

Liu Siyang, a Chinese man who previously worked at the head office of a bank in Beijing, recently came to the United States from mainland China. He said that he was amazed by the practitioners’ march.

Liu believed that everyone should stand up and join Falun Gong practitioners in opposing the persecution. “The CCP has been persecuting Falun Gong for 27 years. I think that opposing the persecution should not only be done by Falun Gong practitioners, but all Chinese people should oppose this persecution,” he explained.

“This is because it is a persecution of the entire Chinese nation, Chinese traditional culture, and justice and conscience. I believe that people should stand up together and resist the CCP’s persecution of the Chinese people, including the people of the world.”

Regarding the April 25th appeal in 1999, Liu stated, “The practitioners’ requests were all reasonable, and reflected Falun Gong’s peaceful and rational nature. This is because Falun Gong was recognized by the state before the persecution began. There were also frequent positive reports about it in the media, and Falun Gong was highly regarded in society. However, the CCP subsequently launched a persecution against Falun Gong. I think the CCP has indeed been very unfair to Falun Gong, and the persecution has been very severe.”

New Immigrants: Breaking Out of the Information Blockade to Learn More About Falun Gong

Mr. Zhang, who recently arrived in Flushing from Shenzhen, China, watched the march that day. He said he knew about the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

He said, “After coming abroad, I saw Falun Gong in various countries, including Japan and South Korea, and on a fairly large scale, so it felt different from what was reported in China. Seeing this march, I thought it was very good, and I still support it.” Having come to the United States, Mr. Zhang said he hoped to have the opportunity to learn more about free online classes so that he could learn the exercises.

Elderly Chinese Immigrant: Looking Forward to a Return to Morality

Mrs. Zhou is an elderly Chinese American who has lived in the United States for over 50 years.

Seeing the Falun Gong practitioners’ march, she said, “I think they are wonderful; this is a truly great act. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are inherently good; they elevate people’s morality. When morality is elevated, we are all better off.”

Manhattan Designer: Falun Gong Practitioners Are Brave

Many people who saw the event expressed their support for Falun Gong practitioners.

Veda Stone, a designer at a Manhattan tech company, passed by the rally that day. Stone expressed her respect and support for Falun Gong practitioners and said she would pray for them, “I think they [Falun Gong practitioners] are truly brave. Some people fight with weapons, but some people persevere with their hearts and spirits. I respect them very much, and I will pray for them every day.”

After learning the details of the April 25 appeal in 1999, Stone said she felt saddened that Falun Gong practitioners’ peaceful and reasonable petition was met with persecution. “If a regime is so afraid of peaceful demonstrations, it shows it is actually very insecure and not truly powerful,” she said.

Stone also mentioned that many advocates of peace and healing throughout history have been persecuted because some regimes fear this inner power. “Falun Gong sounds like a very peaceful practice. When a person can find power within themselves and connect with God, that is a threat to those in power because they cannot control you,” she added.

Protecting Traditional Culture

Juan Almonte, who works in Manhattan, said that the Falun Gong practitioners’ march was good and important.

Juan Almonte, who works in Manhattan, also passed by the event that day. Almonte said that the practitioners’ march was good and important because it involves the preservation of Chinese culture.

Almont said he studied and greatly admired traditional Chinese culture, and that only China possessed an uninterrupted history until the advent of communism, “China has an ancient civilization and an uninterrupted tradition, with a continuous religious faith, until the Communist Party came.

“Many things that China originally possessed, such as religion, philosophy, science, and knowledge, were all burned by the Communist Party. I think this is not only a loss for the Chinese people, but also a loss for the whole world.”

He further explained, “Because much of Chinese culture is not only beneficial to China, but also of great value to the world, I think this is very important.” He stated that this is precisely why the status quo under the rule of the CCP must be changed.

Almont mentioned that he previously heard about the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China and saw some pictures of the persecution, so he knew practitioners were subjected to terrible torture. He added, “I think everyone should be allowed to practice what they want to practice, especially Falun Gong practitioners.”

Background: What Is the April 25 Appeal?

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 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 improved health and well-being.

On April 23 and 24, 1999, police officials in Tianjin, a city near Beijing, assaulted and arrested dozens of practitioners who gathered outside a magazine office to discuss errors in a recently-published article attacking Falun Dafa. As word spread of the arrests and more practitioners inquired with officials, they were told they had to take their appeals to Beijing.

The following day, April 25, some 10,000 Falun Dafa practitioners spontaneously gathered at the Central Appeals office in Beijing, as they had been instructed by Tianjin officials. The gathering was peaceful and orderly. Several Falun Dafa representatives were called in to meet with Chinese Premier, Zhu Rongji, and members of his staff. That evening, practitioners’ concerns were answered. The arrested practitioners in Tianjin were released and everyone went home.

Jiang Zemin, former head of the CCP, perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and issued an order to ban Falun Dafa on July 20, 1999.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners due to the persecution over the years; the actual number is suspected 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.