Falun Gong practitioners hold portraits of alleged victims at a demonstration in Taipei yesterday to mark the 10th anniversary of China’s launch of a crackdown on the group. China banned Falun Gong in 1999 after branding it an “evil cult.” PHOTO: AP

More than 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners staged a protest yesterday against China’s persecution of the movement over the past 10 years.

Led by a marching band, protesters held banners and signs as they departed from a park across the street from Taipei 101.

“Ending the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] regime is the only way to end the persecution,” one sign read, while a banner said: “Supporting human rights in China is supporting freedom for Taiwan.”