until they became pawns in a grab for power by former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin.

To expand his control over the military and security apparatus of the communist party,

Jiang launched a nation wide persecution to wipe out Falun Gong.

Now, practitioners face imprisonment torture and death

So you might wonder, mm, how can I get in on that?

yes, practicing Falun Gong sure sounds appealing doesn't it?

So why would anyone want to practice? Good question

but where am I gonna find Falun Gong practitioners in New York?

May 13th is World Falun Dafa Day which is apparently 'a thing'.

More than 8000 Falun Gong practitioners from around the world made their way to New York

City last week to mark the occasion.

On May 15th thousands of Falun Gong practitioners

are marching in a parade from near the united nations building to the other end of the city.

Passing right in front of the Chinese Consulate. hehe he he he...

For some onlookers from mainland China, it must have been a shock to see American police

protecting Falun Gong practitioners rather than what their chinese counterparts would do.

They may have also been surprised at the number

of what appears to be non-chinese Falun Gong practitioners.

After all part of the propaganda from the communist party is that Falun Gong is not

accepted outside China either. which doesn't look like it's true.

Uh, you don't happen to be Chinese.

No I'm not.

No.. so... what are you doing here?

doing here. well, I took part in the parade

because I've been practicing Falun Gong since 2002.

And you are not Chinese, correct? No, I'm not Chinese. I'm ethnically Finnish.

I don't even speak Chinese, which I kind of regret.

Finish? we haven't even started! haha

so, what happens when you meet a person from mainland China

and they find out you're a Falun Gong practitioner?

They're always shocked. They're always shocked or surprised.

they're like:"oh they're crazy people".

and one said: they try to tear out their guts to find

this thing in them because that's what their master tells them.

and I'm like: "wait, no no, I practice, that's not at all, actually.

so I can tell that they've been brainwashed it's so weird ..."

some reactions you get are quite stark, and they run away.

They actually run away? well, almost.

and we're getting along really good and i'll say a little bit in Chinese

and tell them I'm a Falun Gong practitioner.

and it's interesting because we're having this really polite discourse and then all

of a sudden the hardwiring wants to fire but they're conflicted because they're like:

I was just having a really nice time with this person and now I'm supposed to hate him..

How many self immolations have you witnessed?

None. That would be emphatically none.

How much is the CIA paying you to say that?

Do I look like CIA? I would really...

How would I know what a CIA looks like? What are you insinuating?

So how much are you being paid to be here? Nothing

nothing. doesn't seem like a very good job then.

it's a perfect job. it's a great job. I actually lead classes in the UK, Falun Dafa classes, for free.

and i'm very happy to be here, for free, to take part in this parade.

it's a great experience.

Well, I started practicing Falun Gong before any persecution started in China

oh, so you've been practicing a long time

yeah. so we were just happy people, giggling together

in the park about our attachments and about becoming better people and doing meditation

and doing these exercises.

But it means always putting other people first, and other people's interests first.

and no matter where you are, whether you know them or not.

I think that's a really base line if I had to think of something.

that sounds so dangerous and subversive.

it's a self cultivation practice after all so I'm trying to improve my character and

myself through the truth...

you've kinda got a shifty character I gotta say

(laughs) i'm not really that shifty

sinister laugh. oh really? you're british. all the villains are british.

that's how americans make it out, isn't it?

and one more thing you said you sing opera.

I sing classical music which includes opera and art song and things like that

so that's what i studied concomitant with political science.

concomitant. wow. i've never heard that word before.

and so what's the appeal of practicing Falun Gong concomitant

with the persecution that's happening?

uh, can you rephrase that?

well, how about we hear it? what? you're kidding me.

gotta release tension. go with the flow.

i just walked for 3 hours in the sun!

because i'm a student and studying all the time

I always feel I can think clear after doing the meditation exercise.

this is in public. it's a nuisance. no, it's not a nuisance. how bad are you? (laughs)

my experience being able to really filter

out all the anxieties, difficulties, vices and what not that come with regular life.

which really helps me when I go do the actual exercises and then the energy flow is much stronger.

so that link between mind and body is very much a part of Falun Gong, and part

of what drew me too.

That was awesome!! that was better than when i was playing with the dragon earlier today.

actually that's not true. i'm sure i couldn't

play a dragon the way you play a dragon. that's probably true.

so after speaking to so many Falun Gong practitioners today I was inspired.

I genuinely wanna find some way to help out. and then it hit me

okay guys it's time to storm the Chinese consulate. who's with me?

we don't really do that kind of stuff

Fine. i'll do it myself.