Sydney
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A Falun Gong rally was held outside Sydney Town Hall. Banners took up nearly the whole block on both sides of the road and about 100 people took part.
The rally took place on Friday, 20 July 2012, starting at 1 p.m.
The Falun Dafa website describes Falun Dafa (also called Falun Gong) as “an advanced self-cultivation practice of the Buddha School.”
Sonya Bryskine, Falun Gong practitioner and ‘MC’, speaking at the rally.
Digital Journal interviewed Sonya Bryskine, Falun Gong practitioner and ‘MC’.
Digital Journal interview
DJ: Why are you protesting today specifically?
SB: “Well today, on July 20, it’s the day when the persecution of Falun Gong started in China, thirteen years ago. That was the day when the Chinese leader then - Jiang Zemin, he launched the persecution campaign and we will always remember that day every year, around the world in fact; there’s global candlelight vigils and peaceful appeals going on, marking today as the thirteenth anniversary of that day.”
DJ: Do you know roughly how many people have come today?
SB: “There’s probably about a hundred, all up, coming and going. It would have been close to a hundred.”
DJ: Are there similar demonstrations taking place in other Australian cities?
SB: “Last week we had one in Melbourne, leading up to the event. So we had close to eight hundred people in Melbourne attending a conference and a big rally as well.
In Washington D.C. last week as well there was about five thousand people from around the world."
SOS Rescue my relative signs, held at Falun Gong rally outside Sydney Town Hall.
