A small group of Falun Gong practitioners from B.C. stopped in Saskatoon on the weekend as part of a countrywide tour to gather support for practitioners facing persecution in China.

The B.C. residents handed out literature to passers-by outside the Broadway Theatre on Saturday and in Kiwanis Park on Sunday.

People from all walks of life participate in the peaceful spiritual practice of Falun Gong, said Andrea Hayley, a practitioner traveling with the group.

"We'd like to let people know that the persecution of Falun Gong in China is escalating. Recently, there has been three cases of mass murders, which has put the death toll up way too high -- 287 people have died thus far," she said.

"This is a persecution of innocent people who believe in truth, compassion (and) tolerance. We believe this kind of persecution goes against human nature."

The group gathered signatures asking the Canadian government to help release the husband of Canadian citizen Jinyu Li, who has suffered in a Chinese labor camp for the past 18 months for the crime of practicing Falun Gong.