[Minghui net] On January 28, 2001, the Chinese community held a grand parade to celebrate the Spring Festival in Chicago's South Chinatown. Each year the parade attracts tens of thousands of Chinese and Americans from the greater Chicago area. Most of the spectators are Westerners.
About 60 Falun Gong practitioners, in yellow exercise outfits, participated in the parade. Practitioners held banners imprinted with: "Falun Dafa", "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance", "Falun Gong Practitioners Wish People of Chicago Good Health and Good Fortune". Their colorful message captivated the attention of the parade watchers. Spectators rushed to get Dafa information. Within 15 minutes, several thousand Dafa flyers were distributed. A spectator asked: "Are you the Falun Gong?" A practitioner replied: "Yes. Happy New Year!" The spectator then said: "I support you. Hang in there!" Some people said: "It is hard to imagine that such a beautiful and peaceful exercise could be suppressed in China." " I am concerned with the development of the situation. You are all so brave."
Practitioners demonstrated the first set of the exercises in front of the main platform. The commentator presented a detailed introduction to Falun Gong. Leaders of the Chinese community and the city officials watched the demonstration. A reporter from a major local newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, spent a whole afternoon interviewing Falun Gong practitioners.
After the parade, practitioners demonstrated the exercises in a square in Chinatown, which attracted many observers. People took photos and videos of the practitioners. Lots of people asked questions about cultivation. Many of them wanted to learn the exercises right then. The new people and the practitioners got to know each other. Some of the newcomers expressed an interest in continuing to do the exercises.
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