Jin Pang and Officer Sean pose for a photo at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh on Sept. 25. (Jean Yu/The Epoch Times)

I was able to spare a day, so I set out for Pittsburgh for the last day of the G20 Summit on Sept. 25.

It was chilly in Pittsburgh that day. From where I was, thick clouds hung like a big lid hanging over us, while the blue, clear sky was not so far away.

I joined other Falun Gong practitioners who had come from other states. We sat there quietly; some practiced the Falun Gong exercises; some shared their first-hand experiences of persecution with the media. Behind us was a collection of pictures displaying the appalling brutality of the persecution of practitioners over the past ten years. In contrast to the sad reality in China was a large, bright golden banner on the opposite side of the street with “Falun Dafa,” written in Chinese, which seemed to glow through the gloom.

I stood among practitioners and a few police officers who were keeping order. We heard that just the day before, some protesters from other groups became violent and about a dozen people were injured. I asked a policeman what went wrong yesterday. He said three of the protesters next to him were wounded because they got out of control. He then told me with a smile, “We are here to protect Falun Gong. Your group is very peaceful.” The nervous police expected roughly ten thousand protesters to show up at the events.

We started a casual chat. Officer Sean is a Christian. He had learned a lot about Falun Gong in the past few days from practitioners and from the information on display boards.

“I know the Chinese Communists. It is shameful what they have done. You are doing the right thing. Tell them [the Communist leaders] about Falun Gong. Show them how peaceful you are. You hear that? The music you are playing is so soothing.”

Sean was constantly getting situation updates from the radio as we were talking. I thought I should help to ease his tension a little. I said, “So, I guess what you do could be quite dangerous at times, right?” To my surprise, he was silent. I saw he wore a black plastic bracelet on his right wrist, which he was staring at. The bracelet had some letters and numbers on it.

He said, “These are the names of my three friends. They died last year when we were out on duty. The suspect opened fire at one of my friends who died from multiple shots to his chest and leg. He was gone just like that…” He then turned away and dropped his head, perhaps to hide his sorrow.

I could tell he missed the days when he and his friends were together. They were gone for good.

“Sean, I understand how you feel,” I said to him as he raised his head. “I have not seen my mom for over two years,” I added. “Mom and I both practice Falun Gong. After I came to the U.S., mom was arrested and kept in a detention center because of her belief. It has been over a year since I last heard from my mom. I really miss her…”

His eyes opened wide and stared at me, a girl from China who stood right in front of him. It was no longer just words describing the brutal persecution and human rights violations in a distant country; he had just witnessed China’s persecution of Falun Gong, so close, so real.

The protest march started. Shouting got louder and louder as the march progressed. Perhaps over a hundred media from around the world followed.

As usual, Falun Gong practitioners quietly held up various banners with messages like “Falun Dafa,” “Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance,” and “Stop the Persecution of Falun Gong,” along with pictures of brutal torture of practitioners by the Chinese Communist Party. Powerful and touching messages are best put across through silence and persistence. Many people stopped to take pictures of us; some applauded, while others asked questions or wanted more information.

I held up a poster of my family portrait that called to “Help Rescue Jin's Family.” In the past year, I have displayed this poster on many occasions, and have never thought about replacing it with a new one. This poster has witnessed my care and love for my mom, the bitterness, and misunderstanding along the way, as well as hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Some reporters were curious about what happened to my family. Throughout the parade, I talked with various reporters about my story, among them, some were from mainland China. Many of these reporters were moved by my family's experience. In the midst of such a loud protest, this little cardboard poster helped to bring out the kindness and sympathy of many. Their eyes conveyed a powerful message: Stop Persecuting Falun Gong.

Gradually, I fell behind in the march and was at the end of the parade. I found myself walking in the middle of the street, lined up with thousands of riot police, fully armed, helmets and all. It was the first time in my life seeing such a powerful display of police force. I picked up my pace, trying to catch the parade.

Suddenly, a tall and burly policeman stepped out of line and stood right in front of me. It was Sean! He tapped my shoulder and said, “Keep up the good effort. I heard your speech a moment ago. I will support you!" He immediately stepped back into his line. I walked on, and when I looked back from a distance, he was still waving to me.

I walked among thousands of protesters and policemen with the poster held high calling for rescue of my mom. The nervousness I felt at the beginning of the parade had faded.

My dear little poster, we have been through another touching moment in life together. This time, my tears were happy tears, tears of hope and compassion.

Jin Pang studies for an MBA at Missouri State University. In China, her mother was kidnapped and detained in July 2008 during the crackdown on Falun Gong ahead of the Beijing Olympics. Pang has sought to rescue her mother since then.