Philadelphia Rally Celebrates 420 Million Chinese Quitting CCP

Pennsylvania State Sen. Sharif Street (2nd from the left) joined the rally in Philadelphia Chinatown celebrating 420 million Chinese quitting the Chinese Communist Party, Oct. 15, 2023. Frank Liang/The Epoch Times

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Local Falun Gong practitioners held a rally in Philadelphia Chinatown celebrating the more than 420 million Chinese people who have quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations, on Oct. 15, 2023. Some local officials showed their support and attended the rally.

Pennsylvania State Representative Mary Isaacson issued a citation that highlighted the growing awareness of the CCP’s imminent threat to the world and brought attention to the importance of stopping the tyranny of Communist China and ending the CCP’s global threat.

“Quit the CCP movement has brought to the international community a renewed vision of a world without communism through a peaceful movement,” the citation said.

“The House of Representatives support the ‘Quit the CCP Movement’ and congratulate the 420 million brave Chinese people who have severed their ties with the CCP for the positive step to secure their own future, who also will help to usher in a new age in China, which will improve the security of the whole world,” it said.

The peaceful “Quit the CCP” movement was inspired by a series of articles—“Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party”—published in The Epoch Times in November 2004, exposing the crimes of the CCP.

The movement has allowed Chinese people around the globe to break free from the regime’s state-wide propaganda machine, as well as nearly 75 years of brutal oppression that has deprived the Chinese people of their spiritual heritage and basic human rights.

The CCP has killed an estimated 80 million Chinese through multiple campaigns, such as the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and the Tiananmen Square Massacre as well as the ongoing persecution of Christians, Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Falun Gong practitioners.

There were 35 Chinese people who chose to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations onsite at the rally.

State Senator: Organ Harvesting Is ‘Repugnant’

Pennsylvania State Sen. Sharif Street gave a short speech at the rally.

“I just wanted to raise my voice for the folks in China who are standing up against oppression and are moving toward freedom,“ he said. ”We need to end the practice of organ harvesting; we need to walk away from a regime that is undemocratic.”

Pennsylvania state senator Sharif Street spoke at the “celebrating 420 million Chinese quitting the Chinese Communist Party” rally, on Oct. 15, 2023. Frank Liang/The Epoch Times

“We encourage people to embrace democracy, encourage people to step away from autocracies and move towards a government that respects the rights of individuals,” he said.

Mr. Street has been showing his support for Falun Gong in the past years. He said forced organ harvesting is “repugnant and horrible,” and he called for an end to the killing of people for their organs.

“Organ harvesting shouldn’t be happening any place in the world,” he said.

Regarding the efforts of Falun Gong practitioners to raise awareness of the persecution in China in the last 24 years, Mr. Street said he thinks that “a small group of people with a good cause can cut through mountains of oppression.”

Poet: Use Poetry to Expose the Crimes of the CCP

Euraina Jerry, who lives in Philadelphia, was deeply shocked when she heard Ms. Tian talking about her horrific experience of escaping death and nearly having her organs harvested when she was in China in 2006.

Ms. Tian shared her horrific experience of escaping death at a Philadelphia Chinatown rally, on Oct. 15, 2023. Frank Liang/The Epoch Times

“This is horrible. I can’t believe this is going on. And this is such an evil world. It’s heartbreaking. It’s just very heartbreaking that human beings are treated like this,” Ms. Jerry said.

Ms. Jerry said she appreciated Falun Gong practitioners’ efforts to tell the truth.

“I think this is awesome that people are speaking out. It’s good to know that people are standing up and still fighting fearlessly,” she said.

Poet Euraina Jerry (R) was deeply shocked when she heard the truth about forced organ harvesting in Philadelphia Chinatown, on Oct. 15, 2023. Frank Liang/The Epoch Times

Ms. Jerry has signed the petition to call to end the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

She said she will do whatever she can to “help stop communism from coming here.”

As a poet, she said she wants to learn more about forced organ harvesting and use poetry to expose the crimes of the CCP.

Retiree: Raising Awareness Is to Save Lives

The rally received public support. Daniel Maher is one of them.

“It’s wonderful. It’s a very noble thing you’re doing,” Mr. Maher said. “I love Chinese people, Chinese Americans, and the Chinese people are such a humble good people.”

He is a retired SEPTA (The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) worker. He listened to the speeches when passing by Chinatown that day.

Daniel Maher in Philadelphia Chinatown, on Oct. 15, 2023. William Huang/The Epoch Times

Mr. Maher said he knows Falun Gong: “It’s very peaceful. It’s very noble. It does no harm. Just good.”

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a peaceful spiritual practice that is based on the universal principles of truth, compassion, and forbearance. Practitioners have suffered persecution since the practice was banned by former CCP leader Jiang Zemin in 1999. The persecution is ongoing and includes forced organ harvesting, which involves the killing of practitioners and using their organs in China’s organ transplant industry.

He condemned the CCP’s evil practice of forced organ harvesting: “This is demonic. It’s horrible. It’s barbaric.”

The regime has to be abolished, he said. “The Chinese people have to rise up and have a peaceful revolution if possible.”

William Huang contributed to this report.