(Clearwisdom.net) The large annual community activity "Eugene Celebration" was held in Eugene, Oregon, August 28-29, 2010, attracting even more people than in previous years. Falun Gong practitioners had a booth in the center of the busy streets, and their banners reading "Falun Dafa" and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" were especially eye-catching.


A man learns to do the Falun Gong exercise


A practitioner demonstrates the sitting meditation at the Eugene Celebration

At the end of the morning parade, a steady flow of people arrived at the many booths lining the streets. Many were drawn to the beautiful Falun Gong exercise music and peaceful exercise demonstration. They stopped to watch, take photos, and take informational materials. They also learned from practitioners what Falun Gong is all about and where they could learn it. Some had heard of Falun Gong and the persecution in China before, and they inquired about the current situation and showed deep concern. Some said they had started doing the exercises. Others, who had not heard about Falun Gong, after listening to a practitioner's explanation, immediately expressed their concern and understanding. They agreed that the Chinese Communist regime must immediately stop the persecution.

A man asked a practitioner to teach him the exercises after he had listened to her explanation.

A lady looked at displays exposing the persecution of Falun Gong for a long time. She could not help crying when a practitioner walked up to talk to her. She said she is a nurse and had experienced a lot, but she felt almost unbearable grief and pain looking at the photos. She commented on the cruelty of those responsible when compared with the practitioners' steadfast and peaceful expressions. She said it was hard to connect such a peaceful practice with such a brutal persecution. She finally said that she thought this persecution was trying to destroy human conscience.

Religious aherents, including Christians and Buddhists, came to the Falun Gong booth to express their support. They said that Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance should be followed by all people, and they admired what practitioners have done over the past years. A lady said that she knew that the Communist Party was bad and incorrigible, that there will be peace only when it collapses. She said she would help spread the truth and let more people know about it. She learned to do the exercises and left reluctantly.

Chinese people came to the booth and expressed their indignation at the Chinese Communist Party. An elderly couple with two children looked at the displays and said in tears that the Communist Party was evil. They said they had seen a Shen Yun performance and that it was exquisite and beautiful. The ecouple took a DVD on the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party for their children, because they grew up in the U.S. and it would be hard for them to understand how such a thing could happen in China. Another young Chinese lady came twice to take materials. She hoped that more people could overcome their fear and stand up to support this righteous cause.

At the end of the second day of the celebration, when practitioners were packing up, a man on a bicycle rushed up to them. He said, "Could you tell me what Falun Gong is?" After learning the facts, he was so delighted that he said he would immediately go back to check on the website to learn more.