(Clearwisdom.net) Thousands of visitors from all over the country gathered in front of Capitol Hill on July 1, Canada Day, to celebrate Canada's 138th birthday. Falun Gong practitioners went to the Human Rights Memorial, located in front of the Prime Minister's office, to promote Falun Dafa and tell the Canadian people the facts about Dafa and the persecution in China. Many people expressed their interest in and support for Falun Gong. Around 10 a.m. that morning, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, who had come to attend the Canada Day celebration, arrived and shook hands with practitioners, who were eager to tell him the facts about Falun Gong.
During the annual Canada Day celebration, crowds always gather in front of Capitol Hill. Falun Gong practitioners came to bring a unique gift to the Canadian people: "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." People from everywhere were attracted by the peaceful demonstration of exercises, beautiful music, and nicely-printed pamphlets.
On July 1, in the almost 90-degree heat, practitioners in yellow T-shirts, familiar from past years, demonstrated the exercises in front of the visitors. Everyone was surprised when the Canadian Prime Minister and his wife arrived in the morning. A practitioner went up and shook hands with him. The practitioner wished the Prime Minister a happy Canada Day and asked him to support Falun Gong. Another practitioner went up to tell the Prime Minister and his wife the facts about Falun Gong's situation and urged him to help stop the persecution occurring in Canada. The Prime Minister agreed to help.
Before Prime Minister Martin left for his office, the security personnel began to clear the area. While all the visitors and media people were blocked off a few yards away, the security personnel did not ask the quietly meditating practitioners to leave. The Prime Minister and his wife walked by the practitioners a second time on their way to the ceremony.
A few thousand people witnessed the practitioners' peaceful exercise demonstration. Numerous visitors received Dafa informational materials. Some showed a keen interest to learn Falun Gong and asked for contact information. Practitioners felt that more and more people are coming to understand Falun Gong and learning about the persecution occurring in China. One visitor said, "I want to express my greatest respect to you." Another Canadian pointed to the security personnel and said, "I know that there are a thousand Chinese spies watching Falun Gong. But these Canadian police are here to protect you."
