(Clearwisdom.net) During the afternoon of July 1, 2006, the 139^th birthday of Canada, Falun Gong practitioners who had just participated in the grand parade in downtown Montreal were invited to participate in the community activity held on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Verdun, Montreal, Canada. They performed folk dances, demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises and introduced Falun Gong's wonderfulness. They also exposed the brutal persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Falun Gong practitioners play waist drums

Demonstrating the five sets of exercises

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Zhu Ying said that practitioners have taken part in the grand activities in Verdun for three consecutive years. The local residents have developed a deep understanding of Falun Gong. "Though the time for this year's activity conflicted with the Canada Day Parade, we still rushed here immediately after participating in the Canada Day Parade. We hope to bring the beauty of Falun Dafa to more people," said Zhu Ying.

In June 2005, Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Verdun Summer Parade

A group of children learn the exercises during the Falun Gong practitioners' participation in the community activity in Verdun in June 2005

After enjoying the practitioners' dancing and exercise demonstration, a Verdun resident made a point to come up to the practitioners to talk. She said that she had learned about the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong, and she supported the practitioners' anti-persecution efforts, but she could not understand why the CCP persecutes Falun Gong.

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhu explained, "It's indeed hard to understand by normal thinking. This is because normal people find it difficult to understand the CCP's evil. If people learn about the extent of the CCP's evil nature, and that Falun Gong teaches people to follow the principles of 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,' people will understand that the CCP's evil nature determines its persecution of Falun Gong." The Verdun resident said that she would browse the Falun Gong website, www.falundafa.org, to gain a further understanding of Falun Gong.

A man who was with the woman who spoke to the practitioners said, "I know the CCP is evil. You must keep on."

Falun Gong practitioner and Verdun resident Mr. Chen Ruqing (left) awarded "Outstanding Citizen" by Quebec Province for Self-sacrifice For the Sake of Others

According to Zhu Ying, Verdun residents' support for Falun Dafa resulted from the power of the truth about Falun Dafa. Ms. Zhu Ying, who lived in Verdun Borough, was arrested and imprisoned for 33 days when she returned to China to visit her relatives in May 2001. Through this incident that happened around them, the Verdun Borough councilors and many local residents learned about the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong. Another local resident, Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Chen Ruqing risked his life to rescue a little girl from a hole in the ice on March 9, 2002, and was awarded the title of "Outstanding Citizen" by the Quebec Province. He became the first Chinese in Quebec history to win this honor.