(Clearwisdom.net) At noon on June 11, 2005, more than 80 groups joined the first summer parade sponsored by the city government of Verdun, a suburb of Montreal, Canada. As the only Chinese group participating in the parade, the Falun Gong practitioners' exercise demonstration, waist drum troupe and dance performance were warmly received by local residents. Staff members of the organizing committee praised the group and thanked the practitioners for their wonderful performance.
  Falun Gong practitioners' procession |
  The practitioners' procession received warm applause |
Ms. Liza Frulla, Canadian Minister of Heritage, Henri-Franois Gautrin, Minister for Online Government, Government of Quebec, Georges Boss, Mayor of Verdun, and several City Council members of Verdun attended the event. When the Falun Gong practitioners passed by the reviewing stand, a number of people on the podium stood up and made the heshi sign (a hand gesture in the Buddha school to express respect and thankfulness). Other people applauded to welcome the practitioners. All along the parade route, onlookers cheered and applauded to welcome the Falun Gong practitioners' procession.
  Waist drum troupe |
  Dance performance |
At the parade's end, people from the Verdun government who were in charge of organizing this parade said to practitioners, "Thank you so much! Your performance was really wonderful!"
A large number of spectators on both sides of the street were Chinese people. Over the past several years, a large quantity of Chinese people who have immigrated to Canada chose to reside the city of Verdun. Thus Verdun is called the "second Chinatown" in Montreal. Numerous Chinese people were very happy to see the Falun Gong practitioners' procession, which was composed mostly of Chinese people. They applauded the practitioners.
  Spectator videotaping practitioners' procession |
  People love the lotus flowers hand-made by practitioners |
A kind-looking middle-aged gentleman was very interested in watching the parade. When this reporter asked him if he knew about Falun Gong and the situation in China, he answered yes. This reporter also asked him if he was aware that a Chinese diplomat in Australia and a Chinese official from the organization dedicated to persecuting Falun Gong had openly renounced their membership in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and are bearing witness to how the CCP defames and ruthlessly suppresses Falun Gong. The gentleman sincerely answered that he knew about it.
A Chinese spectator expressed his deep concern over Falun Gong, which is persecuted in China. "When I see the Falun Gong procession in the parade, I feel very sad for those practitioners in China."
There were also some Chinese people who had been deeply poisoned by the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) deceptive propaganda. They still trust the CCP and feel that the Falun Gong practitioners' exposition of the CCP's crimes and Jiang Zemin's persecution of Falun Gong has damaged the image of China's leader (Jiang Zemin). Most of the Chinese people who have this kind of thinking immigrated to Canada after the persecution of Falun Gong began. They were already deceived by the CCP's lies and were resentful towards Falun Gong when they came to Canada. Some of them are aware of the truth of the persecution but dare not speak openly about it. Some were deceived by the CCP's propaganda so badly that even when they personally saw how Falun Gong is warmly received overseas, they still refused to change their attitude toward Falun Gong. Some know about the truth of the persecution, but feel that it has nothing to do with them. Several decades of the CCP's tyranny, lies and atheist education have destroyed traditional Chinese virtue and have led many Chinese people to lose their conscience and good wills.
Mr. Han Deguang, a Chinese writer in Montreal once said, "In the face of the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong, I must stand out and speak. If you don't talk about it, he does not talk about it, and I don't talk about it, that's equivalent to indulging the persecution."
By comparison, people from all circles in Canada have firmly resisted the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong from the very beginning.
According to a report from Clearwisdom.net on July 31, 1999, the Canadian government condemned the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong. Canada was the first country to openly condemn the Chinese communist regime's oppression since the party officially began to suppress Falun Gong on July 20, 1999.
Later, through the great efforts of various groups in Canada, more than a dozen Canadian citizens' or residents' family members who had been imprisoned in China for practicing Falun Gong were successfully rescued. In order to rescue Canadian citizens' family members, many Members of the Canadian Parliament sent out their righteous appeals. In August 2001, MP Irwin Cotler and Scott Reid personally joined the sit-in petition in front of the Chinese Embassy in Canada. Later, they posed for photos with practitioners. MP Irwin Cotler said with a sense of humor, "We are taking pictures here, while the other side (the Chinese Embassy) is probably also taking photos." On October 10, 2002, the Canadian Parliament passed Motion M236 regarding the rescue of Falun Gong practitioners with ties to Canada.
Amnesty International (AI) is the largest human rights organization in the world. Starting from 1999, AI has been in the forefront to support Falun Gong. Ms. Carole Channer, who was in charge of the Montreal chapter of AI, has not been afraid in the face of threats from the Chinese government. She has bravely stood up for and appealed for practitioners who are persecuted for their belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
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