(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners were once again invited to participate in the Grand Central Floral Parade, part of the 73rd Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers in Queensland, Australia, held on September 17, 2022. Their entry was awarded the first prize. Known as the Garden City, Toowoomba is the second most-populous inland city in Australia and this event is also the longest running floral event of its kind in the country. 

City councilor James O’Shea praised practitioners for sharing an important message. He said if more people in the community followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, the place would be filled with kindness and people would care for each other. He thanked practitioners for their great contribution to the community. 

Falun Dafa practitioners participate in the Grand Central Floral Parade, part of the 73rd Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, on September 17, 2022. 

The Tian Guo Marching Band, dragon dance team, and waist drum team performed. Many spectators said that they were impressed by the practitioners' energy and that the stirring melodies such as “Falun Dafa Is Good” resonated with them. Dressed in costumes of various Chinese ethnic groups, young practitioners carried posters with the words, “Falun Dafa Is Good” and “Our World Needs Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”

There were over ten stations along the parade route, each with two hosts to introduce the participating groups. One host said that ever since she was a child, the Falun Dafa Association of Queensland has been attending such events and celebrating with the local community. She announced that Falun Dafa is an ancient practice that promotes the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. 

“The Tian Guo Marching Band is very unique,” the host explained. “Launched in 2006, the band has participated many events in Australia. The traditional blue and white costumes are also amazing,” she added. 

City Councilor: Universal Values

City councilor James O’Shea and his family

James O’Shea, City Councilor and Chair of the Environment and Community Committee, is also a parade spokesperson. He applauded the Falun Dafa practitioners’ performances and noted that they are always colorful and spectacular. He was happy to see that practitioners won the first prize and wished them continued success in future events in the community. 

Mr. O’Shea pointed out that the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are critical, and that practicing them would benefit the community in the long term. He said that is why he is thankful for practitioners. 

Middle School Teacher: Hope the Nightmare of Persecution Will End Soon

Middle school teacher Karin

Karin, a middle school teacher in Toowoomba, said she loved the parade, especially the practitioners’ performances. “The colors are beautiful, the music is inspiring, and the dragon dance and waist drummers are great too,” she said. “Everything is excellent!”

Having seen Shen Yun previously, Karin knew of the persecution of Falun Dafa in China and finds it unbelievable that these peaceful practitioners would be arrested in China for their belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. “The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is terribly bad,” she said. “I hope the nightmare will end and practitioners can freely practice their belief.”

College Researcher: This Is What Our Society Needs

Mamun is a researcher at Queensland University. 

Mamun from Bangladesh is a research fellow in public health at Queensland University. He said that the Falun Dafa practitioners’ performances were superb. “The Tian Guo Marching Band’s music is peaceful and energetic and the dragon dance is wonderful – my kids loved them so much!” he exclaimed. 

He agreed that the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are indeed important. “This are especially important during the chaos we are facing. With those values in mind, we can avoid wars and head towards peace and prosperity,” Mamun said. He once again thanked practitioners and said he would share the information about Falun Dafa with his friends. 

The Persecution Must Stop

Craig and Jasmin Caswell 

Jasmin Caswell, a coordinator of a senior care facility, and school teacher Craig Caswell watched the Tian Guo Marching Band perform. Afterwards, they stopped and chatted with a practitioner. 

Jasmin said that it’s great that Falun Dafa practitioners are following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in their daily lives, and she hopes more people will do the same. Her husband agreed and the couple thanked Falun Dafa practitioners for supporting the community. They said it is hard to believe that such a beautiful practice is suppressed in China. 

Passersby signed the petition calling to end the suppression in China. 

Many people signed petitions to show their support for Falun Dafa practitioners in China. One person said, “The CCP is vicious and the persecution must stop.” Another added, “I agree and I think we should all reject the CCP.” Yet another person said, “I hope my signature helps end the CCP. Thank you and the best of luck in everything!”

Background: 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 and regions worldwide. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings, which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and have 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, though due to the difficulty in getting information out of China, 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.