(Minghui.org) Santa Barbara, California is the origin of Earth Day. On April 20 and 21, 2013, the city organized large scale Earth Day activities in Alameda Park near downtown where nearly two hundred organizations and companies participated in the event. The Falun Dafa Association has participated in this event for the past ten years and is warmly welcomed by the public. In two days, over five hundred people signed the petition calling on the Chinese regime to stop the persecution of Falun Gong.
Falun Gong exercise demonstration and free teaching.
A passerby wants to know more about the persecution in China.
A lot of people come to the Falun Dafa booth at the Earth Day event.
Three Lines of People Waiting at the Falun Dafa Booth
The organizer of the event gave the Falun Dafa Association a large and quiet booth near the main entrance. The event-goers were attracted by the beautiful Falun Gong exercise music and demonstration. For some time, there were three lines of people waiting in front of the Falun Dafa booth. One line consisted of those who wanted to learn how to make folded paper lotus flowers, the second line for those who wanted to sign the petition condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners, and the last line was for people who wanted to watch and learn the Falun Gong exercises. The smooth and calming exercise music touched people's hearts and some of them began to follow along with the exercise movements.
Becoming Clear on the True Situation
A woman told a practitioner that she was very happy to see Falun Dafa here. She was in Hong Kong recently and saw some slogans slandering Falun Gong. Her friend who was with her on Earth Day told her, “Don't worry. Falun Gong is good.” But she wanted to learn more about Falun Gong. A practitioner told her that the Chinese Communist regime is the worst human rights abuser in history, and that one should not trust the regime's propaganda. The woman understood and agreed. She and her friend signed their names on the petition and took some flyers to read.
Chinese Doctor: the Chinese Communist Party is the Culprit of the Persecution
A doctor from mainland China said that he had heard about Falun Gong and he didn't support the Chinese Communist Party's persecution. He'd had a question for a long time about why Falun Gong is exposing the Communist Party as a whole instead of pointing to a few of the party's hatchet men. After a practitioner told him about the independent investigation of the crime of live organ harvesting in China by Mr. David Kilgour and Mr. David Matas, he realized that the Communist Party as a whole system is the culprit of the persecution.
He was also worried that exposing its evil deeds would anger the Chinese Communist Party and it would in turn suppress Falun Gong even more. The practitioner said, “If we cover up the truth and do not expose the evil to the world, the situation will only get worse.” Then they talked about the importance of quitting the Communist Party to keep oneself safe when the CCP collapses. He totally agreed that this was a peaceful and rational method to work against the persecution. He signed the petition and thanked the practitioner for the answers.
Local Officials Support Falun Gong
Some of the elected officials set up an open office at the event. Falun Gong practitioners clarified the truth to them, talking to them about the persecution and especially the CCP's crime of live organ harvesting. Congressman honorable Lois Capps, the Mayor of Goleta Mr. Roger Aceves, the Mayor of Santa Barbara Ms. Helene Schneider, County of Santa Barbara Second District Supervisor Ms. Janet Wolf, State Representative Mr. Das Williams and others expressed their support for Falun Gong and said that they would read the book State Organs, which exposes the systematic harvesting of organs from imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience.
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