(Minghui.org) Practitioners held a parade in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2024, to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day. The colorful parade started at Grange Park and passed through some of the city’s most popular attractions, including Chinatown, the University of Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Eaton Centre, and the popular Dundas Square.
A group held a protest in another location while practitioners held their parade. Their event involved a lot of noise and shouting, but practitioners were calm and peaceful and obeyed the rules. The police officers on duty told practitioners, “You guys are amazing!”
Practitioners held a parade in Toronto to celebrate Falun Dafa Day.
“I Have Admired It for a Long Time, and I Must Start Learning Today”
Tan said he wished to learn the exercises.
Tan from Vietnam was riding through the park and stopped to watch as practitioners prepared for the parade. He said, “My friend mentioned Falun Gong to me many times and said that the exercises are beneficial to people’s health. My friend had an eye disease before, but after practicing Falun Gong, he got better, so when he introduced me to practice, I was very interested.”
The practitioner mentioned that the exercises are not only good for the body, but also help elevate one’s morals by following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Tan said, “Such principles are helpful to the mind.”
Tan asked the practitioner if there were any practitioners in Vietnam who could help him start practicing Falun Gong. The practitioner introduced him to one, and they exchanged contact information.
“The Parade Conveys Culture”
Salik attends the University of Toronto.
Salik who is studying economics and politics at the University of Toronto, said, “The first time I saw the parade, I thought it was really cool and I loved it. This parade conveys culture. The music I heard, as well as the dress of the practitioners, was pleasing to the eye.”
Practitioners told Salik that the people in the parade practice Falun Gong. They follow the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and at the same time practice exercises in order to achieve physical and mental health. “It sounds really cool, and I like that it’s self-cultivation and relaxing,” Salik said, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are very good principles. The exercises focus on the body, mind, and spirit, and are very comprehensive.” He said that he would go online to learn more.
“The Parade Made Me Feel Refreshed”
Nischal said practitioners are kind and friendly, and watching the parade made him feel happy and refreshed.
Nischal, an international student from Nepal, liked practitioners’ clothing and said the colors are bright. “There are also some parades in my country, but they don’t have such beautiful colors,” he said, “The marching band is very impressive, and the music is very good. The parade gave me a sense of joy and refreshment because practitioners are kind and friendly.”
Practitioners told him that they follow Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. “It’s a good idea, you have to be honest with people,” Nischal said.
When practitioners mentioned that the CCP is persecuting Falun Dafa in China Nischal said, “I know that the CCP wants to control people’s minds. I will let my neighbors know about the persecution.”
Chinese Quit the CCP
Mr. Li, who was touring Canada is a 60-year-old painter. When a practitioner handed him some information about Falun Gong, he said he wanted to know more. The practitioner told him how Falun Dafa is practiced in more than 100 countries in the world, and the importance of quitting the CCP. Mr. Li listened carefully for a long time and thanked the practitioners. He used the pseudonym Li Ping’an to quit the communist Young Pioneers he joined. Before leaving, he insisted on sharing the fruits he bought with the practitioners.
A middle-aged man from Changchun, China, who works at a bank, stood on the side of the road and watched the parade. When a practitioner told him about Dafa, he said that he had heard about Falun Dafa long before the persecution in 1999, and said that he had already quit the CCP. He said, “I know the truth about Falun Gong. In China, I once spent 50,000 yuan to rescue a Falun Gong practitioner. The man was a teacher, and after being kidnapped by the police, I bribed them to ransom him. I have two friends who also practice Falun Gong. However, the last time I returned home, I could not find them. I hope that they are safe now.”
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