(Clearwisdom.net) On October 17, 2002, Falun Dafa practitioners from Northern California held activities to celebrate California's first statewide Falun Dafa Month in front of the State Building in Sacramento, California.

Practitioners arrived from different cities in the early morning to prepare for the celebration. Even before the activity started, many people stopped by and checked out the photo exhibition and asked for information. Some people started learning the exercises on the spot.

The celebration ceremony formally started at noon. Deputy Governor Cruz Bustamante sent a representative to deliver a proclamation. The proclamation praised Falun Gong's contribution to California in helping people improve their physical and mental health and elevate people's moral standard. Congresspersons also sent their congratulations for Falun Dafa Month. Sacramento County's Board of Supervisors passed a resolution proclaiming October 2002 as Sacramento's Falun Dafa Month. Several mayors from cities in northern California wrote congratulation letters for the occasion.

Then a practitioner spoke on behalf of practitioners and talked about his personal experiences. He started practicing Falun Gong in China and benefited physically and mentally from the practice. However he was detained because he refused to give up his belief in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." Now he is in America, a free and democratic country. He has the freedom to practice and to speak out about the truth. He called upon people around the world to help stop the brutal persecution of Falun Gong.

After the opening ceremony, practitioners gave musical and dance performances for the audience. A group of Chinese from Mainland China happened to be there to visit the State Building and witness Dafa's beauty. Practitioners clarified truth to them with compassion hearts and were well received.

Later on reporters arrived to interview the practitioners.