(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners in St. Louis introduced Falun Gong at the annual Earth Day Festival on April 26, 2015. This event attracts thousands of visitors every year to St. Louis' Forest Park, making it the largest of its kind in the Mid-US.

Introducing Falun Gong at St. Louis Earth Day Festival.

Many stopped to watch the Falun Gong exercise demonstration and to get information.

Mr. Isaac Peterson, a massage therapist, said he had learned Falun Gong more than ten years ago, but didn't continue for various reasons. He was pleased to see Falun Gong at the Earth Day Festival. He said he wished to resume the exercises, and asked to be notified of upcoming seminars. “I really want to practice again, because I know it's a great practice,” Mr. Peterson said. “It was a beautiful experience. I felt I had stronger compassion. I started paying more attention to others and became considerate. I was deeply influenced by Falun Gong's Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in every aspect.”

Isaac Peterson looks forward to resuming Falun Gong exercises.

Signature Collection

Practitioners also raised awareness about the persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and collected signatures on a petition calling for an end to the CCP's crime of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. Hundreds of signatures were collected within a short period of time.

Mr. Harris, a local resident, said after signing the petition, “Organ harvesting is intolerable in many ways. I'm against it from the bottom of my heart.”

Nate, a St. Louis Falun Gong practitioner, tells people about the persecution in China.

“Most people showed great support,” said Nate Gaefcke, a practitioner who participated in the event. The part-time college professor has been practicing Falun Gong for three and a half years. He said that the people he talked to at the event were shocked to hear about the CCP's organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners. “One couple even turned pale with shock. They were very concerned about these innocent people being persecuted and killed for their belief.”