Australia: Queensland Falun Dafa Practitioners Join Multicultural Celebration

(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners were invited to the EID Multicultural Celebration at the Gold Coast’s Norm Rix Park on August 11, 2019.

The festival, organized by the Islamic Multicultural Association of Gold Coast, celebrates multiculturalism in Queensland through a day of sharing cultures, celebrations and conversations.

Practitioners set up a booth, demonstrated the Falun Dafa exercises, and handed out fliers to passersby.

Gold Coast City Councilor Kristyn Boulton (second from left)

Kristyn Boulton, Gold Coast City Councilor for Division 4, stopped by the booth to greet practitioners. She received the latest issue of the Compassion magazine and said she could not see any good reasons for the Chinese regime to continue its 20-year-long persecution of peaceful Falun Dafa practitioners.

Ms. Boulton wanted to help spread the word about Falun Dafa and posed for a photo with practitioners to help encourage more people to discover its many health and lifestyle benefits through the council-funded Active and Healthy Program, of which which Falun Dafa is a member.

Queensland Member for Bonney Sam O'Connor MP (second from left)

Sam O’Connor MP, Queensland Member for Bonney, also visited the booth and discussed his concerns about the current human rights situation in China. He echoed a recent warning from Federal MP Andrew Hastie on how the Chinese regime’s rise could erode some of Australia’s sovereignty and freedoms in state and federal politics, business and universities, particularly those that signed agreements with the Beijing-backed Confucius Institute.

Mr. O’Connor was very encouraged to hear that U.S. President Donald Trump had recently met with a Falun Dafa practitioner in the Oval Office.

Handing out paper lotus flowers to locals

Philomena, who volunteered at the nearby Benevolent Society booth, took a moment out of her busy morning to find out more about Falun Dafa. She was very interested in Eastern spirituality and regularly visits a Buddhist temple.

After hearing about the tranquil Falun Dafa exercises, she decided to try them out at a local practice site. She was also moved to hear that the lotus flower symbolizes peace and purity in traditional Chinese culture.