(Clearwisdom.net) On May 3, the Falun Dafa Twin Cities Club staged its very first Falun Dafa Day celebration event on the lawn outside Coffman Memorial Union of the University of Minnesota. The event was to help more UMN students see what Falun Gong is and thus get a better understanding of the practice as well as the ongoing persecution in China.

Exercise demonstration

Many students watch the demo

A reporter carefully studied the photos and took photos of the event

A reporter interviewing a practitioner

After seeing the Falun Gong booth, a student was delighted. She said that she had been longing to learn the practice for a long time. Upon hearing the truth of the persecution, another student said that he had learned so much from the event and he didn't know that the Chinese Communist Party was as crude as it was in the past. There was also a student who said that he had seen practitioners' anti-torture exhibition in New York City, he said: "It [the persecution] is so brutal and hard to believe."

While talking with students, practitioners found that many were very interested in learning the practice. When they learned that practitioners would open a free-teaching session on campus on the following day, they were delighted. A lot people commended the practitioners' peaceful efforts to end the persecution and signed a petition to express their support. Some also took "rescue the orphans" and "rescue Charles Lee" postcards.

More and more Mainland Chinese are learning the truth as well. A Chinese gentleman said that Falun Gong is now more and more accepted by the public, despite the brutal suppression. He said: "It is really a miracle!" He commended the practitioners' persistent efforts over the past 6 years and encouraged practitioners to hold on to this noble cause. He said that he knew there were many questionable points in the propaganda at the very beginning of the persecution: If Falun Gong was as bad as the Chinese Communist Party described, the practice would not have so many practitioners. Furthermore, it is also impossible that it would have taken the totalitarian regime 7 years to notice the problems they falsely claim are associated with Falun Gong. Another Chinese lady also said that Falun Gong is good and the CCP has no reason to persecute the practice.

Because it was not on a weekend, some practitioners took the day off from work to support the event. Western and Chinese student practitioners on campus also came to the event despite the pressure of finals. When people learned about this, many said with appreciation: We support you, your commitment is very noble and admirable.