by Kristen Huff

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Chinese Protestors
   A woman wearing a white shirt stained with blood red smears sits in a cage with handcuffs around her wrists. Behind her, a man with his arms tied to a pole above him and clothed in similarly stained garments hangs his head. A man dressed in a uniform and wearing dark sunglasses moves periodically between them, banging a black baton on the cage and the pole.
     This was the setting in front of the Brandenburg Gate on Sunday, May 13^th, as hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners participated in a demonstration to rally the German Government to support their cause. The caged woman, tied man, and mock officer were meant to portray human rights violations occurring in China.
     “Three days - since three days that we are demonstrating,” said Helmut, 76, of southern Germany. “We hope a little bit to change the awareness, the consciousness of people.”
     Falun Gong, also referred to as Falun Dafa, is a type of meditation practiced without formal organization, cost, or membership. Practitioners claim that they are targeted in China by the government, jailed without trials, abused, and often subjected to involuntary organ harvesting.
     “There is no organization about it, but we want to inform people how much crimes against humanity, human rights, are happening just now in China and we don’t fight,” said Helmut. “We don’t do anything. We don’t like to get power. We want to get the permission to meditate and be good men and good people.”
     The demonstration occurred in light of a European Union Meeting that took place on Monday and Tuesday. Falun Gong practitioners took advantage of the opportunity to express their concerns.
     “A country that is supposed to organize the Olympic Games in 2008 is still committing these kinds of atrocities against people, still involved in these human rights violations that are extremely severe,” said one demonstrator. As he spoke, a bloody mock surgery took place behind him.
     Helmut passed out flyers written in German and English and answered questions of bystanders. Though originally Catholic, he felt that the acts of the Church blurred the true teachings of Jesus. After 30 years of searching for spiritual development, he discovered Falun Gong in 2001. “I read it the first time, I decided I do it,” he said as his arms moved with his words. “I am not member of the group but I am convinced the way is very good. It’s the highest that I’ve found ever in my looking for spirituality.”