TORONTO, Canada — On July 18, hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners, supporters, and community leaders gathered in downtown Toronto to mark the 27th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong, condemning decades of religious repression while warning that Beijing’s campaign of intimidation now reaches far beyond China’s borders.
The day-long commemoration included a rally outside the Ontario Legislative Building, a march through downtown Toronto, and an evening candlelight vigil outside the Chinese Consulate. Despite persistent rain, participants remained throughout the day, carrying banners calling for an end to the persecution and urging the Canadian government to confront the CCP’s growing campaign of transnational repression targeting dissidents and Falun Gong practitioners outside China.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice centered on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Despite being peaceful in nature, the CCP launched a brutal campaign to eradicate the practice in July 1999 after seeing its rapid rise in popularity as a threat to its authoritarian regime. Since then, thousands of practitioners have perished at the hands of Chinese police, with many today still undergoing routine monitoring, arbitrary travel bans, and arrests.
RELATED: How Falun Gong Stood Up to Beijing’s Repression 27 Years Ago
Authoritarianism cannot outlast truth
Among the keynote speakers was Chinese democracy activist Sheng Xue, who reflected on the movement’s endurance since the persecution began on July 20, 1999.
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She said CCP leaders had once believed the state could eliminate Falun Gong within a short period by mobilizing the country’s security apparatus. Instead, practitioners spent the past 27 years exposing the persecution through international advocacy, independent media, and the global performances of Shen Yun Performing Arts.
Drawing parallels with early Christians, the Puritans, and dissidents who resisted communist regimes in Eastern Europe, Sheng argued that history has repeatedly shown that authoritarian governments ultimately fail to suppress deeply held beliefs. “You are all heroes,” she told attendees. “Every one of you is a hero who has remained steadfast in the struggle against tyranny.”
She also pointed to growing international investigations and condemnation of allegations of forced organ harvesting in China, saying global awareness of the CCP’s human rights record continues to expand.
Expanding transnational repression
Several speakers argued that Beijing is increasingly attempting to extend its repression beyond China’s borders. Yu Houqiang, chairman of the Canadian Committee of the Chinese Democracy Party, criticized China’s recently enacted Ethnic Unity Promotion Law, arguing that it provides legal justification for expanding the CCP’s influence over overseas Chinese communities.
Reviewing the CCP’s political campaigns, from the Anti-Rightist Movement and the Great Leap Forward to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and the persecution of Falun Gong, Yu said successive campaigns had been carried out in the name of “unity” while suppressing independent thought and religious belief. “Evil is evil,” Yu said. “It is embedded in the CCP’s DNA and cannot change.” He also urged Canadian officials not to harbor unrealistic expectations about the Chinese regime.
Hou Shijun, deputy secretary-general of the Canadian branch of the Federation for a Democratic China, said China’s economic slowdown and declining social trust have created an urgent need for moral renewal. He argued that the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, the core teachings of Falun Gong, represent values capable of helping restore traditional Chinese culture.
Canadian publisher Dean Baxendale likewise criticized the “Ethnic Unity Promotion Law,” describing it as an effort to institutionalize the suppression of minority groups. Drawing on years of work with Tibetan, Uyghur, Hong Kong, and Taiwanese communities, Baxendale said he had also investigated alleged United Front influence activities in Canada. He claimed that during research on Prince Edward Island he found evidence that organizations connected to Beijing had sought to influence local political affairs through religious organizations.
Former Polish-born Member of Parliament Wladyslaw Lizon recalled recent bomb threats targeting Shen Yun Performing Arts performances in Mississauga and Toronto earlier this year. Although several performances were temporarily disrupted, he praised organizers for ultimately completing the tour.
Reflecting on his own experience growing up under communist rule in Poland, Lizon said he recognized many similarities between life under authoritarianism and the experiences shared by Falun Gong practitioners today. “Change is coming,” he declared. “Change will come, and we will prevail.”
Survivors recount years of abuse
Some of the day’s most emotional testimony came from practitioners who survived persecution inside China. Among them was Liu Yan, a former university associate professor who recently arrived in Canada after spending years imprisoned for practicing Falun Gong.
Over the past 27 years, Liu said she repeatedly lost her job because of her faith and was twice sentenced to prison, serving a combined six and a half years. She described harsh conditions inside Yunnan Province Second Women’s Prison, where she said she endured food deprivation, sleep deprivation, restrictions on using the restroom, prolonged forced sitting on small stools, verbal abuse, and physical assaults. After arriving in Canada just over 50 days ago, Liu said she had been deeply moved by the kindness of Canadians.
At the same time, she expressed concern over repeated threats targeting Shen Yun performances overseas, saying she was relieved that this year’s performances in Toronto ultimately proceeded successfully with support from local officials and the public. “I wish the Chinese people whom I love can one day enjoy lives that are free, equal, healthy, and peaceful,” she said.
Family separated by persecution
Another practitioner, Emily Liu, recounted how her family’s life changed after the CCP launched its nationwide campaign against Falun Gong in 1999. Raised in China’s Hebei Province, Liu said she began practicing Falun Dafa with her parents as a child and witnessed significant improvements in their physical and mental well-being. That changed after the persecution began.
Her father was demoted from his job and forced to write public self-criticisms. Authorities confiscated the family’s Falun Dafa books, while Liu and her sister faced discrimination at school because of their family’s faith. In 2008, Liu’s mother was detained for speaking publicly about the persecution. Following her release, the family remained under constant surveillance and harassment by local neighborhood committees.
After years of pressure, the family eventually emigrated to Canada in 2012. Liu warned that while she had escaped China, the CCP’s efforts to silence Falun Gong practitioners have increasingly extended overseas.
She pointed to reports of overseas Chinese police stations, surveillance of practitioners abroad, and repeated threats targeting Shen Yun Performing Arts as evidence that Beijing’s campaign of repression has become transnational.
Supporters urge stronger action
Many attendees who were not Falun Gong practitioners said they participated to show solidarity with victims of religious persecution and to express concern over Beijing’s growing influence abroad. Mr. Chen, who said it was his first time attending a July 20 commemoration outside China, said he was inspired by practitioners who continued demonstrating despite hours of heavy rain.
He described China’s newly enacted Ethnic Unity Promotion Law as legislation intended to legitimize repression beyond China’s borders and called on Canadian authorities to respond more forcefully to bomb threats and intimidation targeting Shen Yun performances worldwide.
Another attendee, identified only as James He, said the CCP’s portrayal of Falun Gong contradicts the movement’s emphasis on Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. He encouraged members of the Chinese community to report suspicious activities to law enforcement if they believe intimidation or foreign interference is taking place.
Among the supporters was Dino Chan, a Hong Kong activist who said he attended specifically to thank Falun Gong practitioners for standing alongside Hong Kong’s democracy movement over the years. Recalling annual July 1 demonstrations in Hong Kong between 2003 and 2019, Chan said Falun Gong practitioners consistently participated alongside Hong Kong residents calling for greater political freedoms.
He argued that Beijing’s transnational repression extends far beyond Falun Gong, affecting Hong Kongers, Taiwanese, Tibetans, Uyghurs, and others whom the Chinese government views as political opponents. “The persecution is not directed at just one group,” he said. “It targets anyone who refuses to submit.”
Democratic activists express solidarity
More than a dozen members of the Canadian Committee of the Chinese Democracy Party participated in the rally and march, chanting slogans including “Stop persecuting Falun Gong,” “Stop transnational repression,” and “Falun Dafa is good.”
Wu Zhiwei, who attended a July 20 commemoration for the first time, said he was deeply moved by practitioners’ unwavering commitment to peaceful resistance despite nearly three decades of persecution. “The CCP governs through persecution and struggle,” he said. “Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance represent the exact opposite. That is why this spiritual strength is so powerful.”
He added, “Falun Gong practitioners are not afraid of persecution or oppression. They remain committed to their beliefs and ideals. I am deeply moved by them and have tremendous admiration for their perseverance.”
Another participant, Qian Siwei, said the gathering highlighted freedoms that remain impossible in mainland China. “Even if someone does not share another person’s beliefs, they should never prevent others from practicing their faith,” he said.
Qian also expressed concern over repeated bomb threats directed at Shen Yun performances, saying many overseas Chinese believe Beijing bears responsibility even when direct evidence has not been made public. He encouraged overseas Chinese communities to continue speaking out in support of Falun Gong practitioners.
Wang Ziping, attending her second July 20 event, said she found encouragement in seeing so many people gather despite the weather. “The principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are consistent with the best traditions of Chinese culture,” she said. “They deserve our support.”
Li Bingyan reflected on the persecution’s origins in 1999, criticizing the CCP’s use of propaganda, including the disputed Tiananmen self-immolation incident, to justify its campaign against Falun Gong.
He described the persecution as a crime against humanity and also condemned allegations of forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience. Li argued that Beijing’s new “Ethnic Unity Promotion Law” seeks to intimidate overseas Chinese into remaining silent by threatening relatives still living in China. “I believe the fall of the CCP is only a matter of time,” he said. “Overseas Chinese must have the courage to stand up and continue telling the truth.”
A younger generation embraces the cause
The rally also drew younger supporters, many of whom said they had previously known little about Falun Gong. University student Wan Huizi, born after 2000, said she was struck by the determination of participants who remained despite heavy rain throughout the day. “The power of faith is extraordinary,” she said.
Wan recalled attending a Shen Yun performance before joining the rally and said the performers’ sincerity contrasted sharply with Beijing’s accusations against the company. “This is the first time I’ve truly experienced the power of freedom,” she said. “I’ll continue participating in activities like this and speaking out for freedom.”
Cai Mingqin, another member of the Chinese Democracy Party, acknowledged that he had once believed the CCP’s portrayal of Falun Gong while growing up in China. Only after immigrating to Canada and conducting his own research, he said, did he realize the movement’s teachings centered on Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.
He praised practitioners for maintaining a peaceful campaign for 27 years and said their perseverance had become an example worthy of respect. Citing Canada’s recently enacted Bill C-70, aimed in part at strengthening safeguards against foreign interference, Cai encouraged Chinese Canadians to report suspected espionage or intimidation linked to foreign governments.
Candlelight vigil concludes day of remembrance
As night fell, hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners gathered outside the Chinese Consulate in Toronto for a candlelight vigil honoring those who have died during the persecution.
Holding candles in silence, participants remembered victims who lost their lives while imprisoned or detained in China and renewed calls for an end to the 27-year campaign against Falun Gong.
The vigil concluded a day marked by remembrance, personal testimony, and appeals for greater international attention to what participants described as one of the longest-running campaigns of religious persecution in modern China.
