Philadelphia Rally Celebrates 450 Million Renouncing Chinese Communist Party

A rally on Aug. 30 in Philadelphia’s Chinatown celebrated 450 million Chinese people renouncing their ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The rally was organised by the Greater Philadelphia Falun Dafa Association.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline and meditation practice with moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The practice was first introduced to the public in China in 1992 and quickly grew in popularity. In July 1999, the CCP launched a brutal persecution campaign aimed at eradicating the practice and its practitioners.

It described the movement as “the largest grassroots movement in the history of human civilization” since 2004, noting that many Chinese people were “deceived or coerced” into joining the CCP and its youth organizations but have now “seen through the CCP’s decades of propaganda and have chosen a better future.”

The citation condemned the CCP’s rule as “the darkest and the most ridiculous page in Chinese history,” highlighting crimes such as killing over 80 million citizens since 1949—an estimate equivalent to the deaths in WWII but during peacetime—and the persecution of Falun Gong, which includes “escalating its transnational repression” through death threats, lawfare, and manipulating American media.

The state House expressed support for the movement, offering “congratulations and gratitude to the more than 450 million heroic people bringing about a new age of consciousness in China and around the world through peaceful movement.”

The Council of the City of Philadelphia, through a resolution sponsored by Councilmember Mark F. Squilla, highlighted the rally’s tribute to the “450 million Chinese people who have courageously renounced their affiliations with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)” and commended the Tuidang Movement for helping millions withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations, such as the Youth League and Young Pioneers.

It described Falun Gong as emerging from China’s qigong movement, combining “meditation, qigong exercises, and moral teachings rooted in Buddhist and Taoist traditions,” with core tenets of “truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.”

The council noted that adherence to these virtues fosters spiritual elevation through doing good deeds and turning away from wrongdoing.

During the event, 49 Chinese individuals publicly renounced the CCP, adding to a growing tide that resonates with human rights advocates across America.

Dr. Jessica Russo, a member of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH), explained that after the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong began on July 20, 1999, a surge in organ transplants followed.

“In the United States and other countries with voluntary donation systems, patients typically wait at least a year for an organ transplant. In China, however, a suitable organ match can be found in just weeks or days,” she said, linking this to detained Falun Gong practitioners at risk of being murdered for their vital organs.

Jen Buerk, a retired state employee and entrepreneur, expressed support for the Chinese people standing up against tyranny. “If you don’t stop communism, it’s going to ruin the whole world,” she said.

She described the rally as “very gentle, very friendly.”

Buerk stopped while passing by and showed her support for the rally. She told The Epoch Times that “the movement is going to help America.”

She said the 450 million renunciations are “very important, because [the CCP] could start with the Chinese people today and then come after the American people.”

Nijeea Cirwithen, a corrections officer, stood firm against China’s communist regime. “I don’t agree with the CCP. I’m standing 100 percent behind my Chinese community. I’m here to fight with the communist party with them,” she told the Epoch Times.

Cirwithen was moved to tears by the revelation of organ harvesting, calling it “heartless” and noting, “these are things that people need, you can’t just strip it from people.”

For her, the 450 million renunciations were “so big. That’s a big number, all I can do is support.” She said the rally was a unifying call. “We all are one. So just because it’s happening to the Chinese people, doesn’t mean it can’t happen to the black people, [or] the Indians.”

The rally’s significance was echoed by Maritza Bocceuti, a police officer, who learned of the movement on site. She said the 450 million was significant, stressing its importance for human rights. She also expressed shock at the state-sponsored crimes of organ harvesting in communist China.

“I was baffled. I was very surprised. Just for doing some exercises and practicing, and now your organs are subjected to be harvested. That’s horrible,” she told The Epoch Times.

Bocceuti praised the event’s peaceful approach: “This is a peaceful event. It’s basically building awareness, making sure everybody knows what’s going on in China.”

Her husband Paul Bocceuti, a legal assistant, added, “It’s good to bring awareness to a situation where the Chinese government is violating the human rights of people.”

He said the Chinese regime’s crimes of organ harvesting are “terrible.”

“It’s a gross violation of human rights,” he said, noting the CCP’s minority status and the need for economic sanctions against it. He expressed support for the rally’s goal to “bring more awareness as the first step.”