Sydney, Australia: Falun Dafa Group Exercises Draw Attention of Passersby

(Minghui.org) Several hundred Falun Dafa practitioners did the exercises together in the center of Sydney on the morning of October 7, 2022.

The morning group practice kicked off three days of activities, including a rally and march. This was the first time that Falun Dafa practitioners from all over Australia had gathered in Sydney since the pandemic. They also held the annual Australia Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference over the weekend.

The peaceful exercise music, the bright and eye-catching yellow shirts, and the conflict-free exercise movements drew the attention of tourists and local people alike. Many people expressed a strong interest in learning the Falun Dafa exercises.

Hundreds of Falun Dafa practitioners do the exercises in Sydney on the morning of October 7.

Local People: Feeling the Strong Energy

“I feel strong energy and kindness,” Sydney resident John Carlo Garza said when watching the Falun Dafa practitioners exercise. “I feel they [wearing yellow shirts] are like the golden sunlight breaking through the dark clouds.”

Garza said that communism was evil, and he completely opposed the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) brutal persecution of Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa). He said, “The communist regime should be dismantled.”

Dianne Zammit, a high school art teacher, was also attracted by the bright yellow shirts worn by Falun Dafa practitioners. She said, “The yellow color is eye-catching. It’s just amazing.”

“In a busy life,” she said, “being able to meditate like them even for a short while should bring peace and tranquility to the body and mind.” She said if people followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, then the community we live in would be better.

She continued by saying, “It makes me sad to hear about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. It is unprecedented that there is such a severe persecution perpetrated in China. Because such news is rarely seen in the media, events like this are a reminder to the [Australian] people - all these sad things are still happening in China.”

Tourist: They Spread the Power of Kindness

Leah Baker, a jogging enthusiast

Leah Baker saw Falun Dafa practitioners meditating for the first time that day, and paused to watch the peaceful scene. She said, “I stopped jogging, and took a closer look. I immediately felt a wonderful energy, which is pleasing.”

Baker said she had heard some talk about the persecution in China, as she had Chinese friends.

Baker said she admired Falun Dafa practitioners for spreading the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to the world. She said, “The world needs Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, which are positive and traditional universal values.”

Jefreg, a tourist from Macedonia, saw many Falun Dafa practitioners gathered in the center of Sydney. He felt that Falun Dafa practitioners were spreading the power of kindness. He said that Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance should be highly respected.

Cathy and David

Cathy and David were also drawn by the practitioners’ peaceful Falun Dafa exercise scene. Seeing the practitioners meditating quietly in the downtown area, Cathy said, “It’s so beautiful.”

She also said to a practitioner, “The weather forecast predicted that there would be rain until sometime later today. But you are lucky, the sun has come out. So God blesses you.”

What Is Falun Dafa and Why Is the CCP Persecuting It?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries worldwide. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings--which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance--and learned the five exercises have experienced improved health and well-being.

Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, he issued an order to eradicate the practice.

Under Jiang’s personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 23 years. The actual number is believed to be much higher. Countless practitioners have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply China’s organ transplant industry.