Falun Gong staging event at civic centre

Information to be held from 10:30-11 a.m

A national campaign by practitioners of Falun Gong arrives today in Sydney with a public event to be staged at the Cape Breton Regional Municipality Civic Centre on the Esplanade.

As part of its SOS car tour across Canada, the group is scheduled to hold an information session between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. in front of the civic centre.

The national campaign is a bid to draw attention to what the group claims is the systematic harvesting of human organs from group members who have been imprisoned in China.

The group will also be asking local residents to sign a petition that will be delivered to the federal government to publicly demand an end to the persecution of Falun Gong members in China.

Canadian supporters also want the federal government to follow the lead of U.S. lawmakers who passed a resolution expressing concern with reports of state-sanctioned organ harvesting from nonconsenting prisoners of conscience in China.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to embark on a eight-day visit to China beginning Tuesday and Canadian Falun Gong practitioners hope Trudeau will publicly raise their concerns.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a recognized belief practice in Canada with teachings based on the universal principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance.

China has been accused of torturing and killing its members. While no official meeting has been scheduled with CBRM Mayor Cecil Clarke regarding the petition or protest, according to spokesperson for the mayor’s office, the group is expected to find a receptive welcoming.

In May, the CBRM council passed a resolution proclaiming May and Falun Dafa month and May 13 as Falun Dafa Day.

The national protest has already visited Halifax and Dartmouth as part of its crosscountry tour.