(Minghui.org) After the annual Falun Dafa Conference in Canada, a large scale rally and parade was held in Toronto on August 24, 2014. Local residents and tourists said that they were impressed by the parade, which featured the Divine Land Marching Band, “celestial maiden” dance, and waist drum troupe.
Looking at the practitioners holding pictures of practitioners who died in the persecution, Toronto area resident Mr. Wang was touched. “Practitioners have sacrificed so much for their belief, I respect them,” he said. “Those who persecute Falun Dafa out of self-interest are wrong; they need to stop.”
“I Really Love Falun Dafa”
At Queen's Park, where the event was held, a Turkish lady talked with a Chinese practitioner about her experience.
“I came here to visit my brother and saw practitioners doing the meditation in the park last week.” After seeing the practitioners there every day, she became interested and started to learn. To her surprise, she was able to follow along with the entire five sets of exercises, including the hour-long sitting meditation. “While sitting here, all of my bad thoughts were gone,” said the lady.
“I have put my photos of the exercises and the link for www.falundafa.org on my Facebook page, hoping my friends will learn about this.” Because she did not read English well, the lady checked out the Turkish version of www.falundafa.org. “I found it so cool. I really love Falun Dafa!”
A Turkish lady told a practitioner how she had recently learned Falun Dafa and shared it on social media.
Pointing at the paper lotus flowers on the table, the lady said with a smile, “My Turkish name means 'lotus.'”
Chinese Quit the Communist Party
Ms. Feng, who immigrated to Canada in 1990, said she was happy to see the Falun Dafa parade. “I was already in Canada when I heard about Falun Dafa. Through the years I have also read about the suppression in China.” When asked by a practitioner if she would like to join the grassroots movement of quitting the CCP (the Chinese Communist Party), she said she was not a CCP member. However, she was happy to quit the Youth League and the Young Pioneers, two CCP-related organizations she was affiliated with when she was young.
By her side was a couple who had come to Canada as tourists. The husband said that he had heard about Falun Dafa many times back in China. “But all of state-controlled media coverage was negative. I was curious about it and am glad to learn the real story here today.” He and his wife both agreed to quit the CCP and its associated organizations.
Mr. He, a new immigrant from China, had some personal connection with Falun Dafa. “My wife started to practice in 1998. After the CCP banned Falun Dafa in 1999, she was arrested and detained in a labor camp for more than two years.”
To avoid the suppression, Mr. He immigrated to Canada with his wife. “I like the fresh air here,” he said, “as my wife can freely practice her belief on this land.”
According to practitioners who volunteered at the event, several hundred Chinese people quit the CCP and affiliated organizations throughout the course of the day, taking an upright stance against the brutal persecution.
