(Minghui.org) The 24^th annual "Good in the Hood" multicultural music, arts and food festival was held in Lillis Albina City Park, Portland, Oregon on June 24, 2016. The two-day event drew an estimated 30,000 visitors. Falun Gong practitioners participated in this event and set up a booth to raise awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong in China to the visitors.

Falun Gong booth

There were crowds of people on a sunny day at the event. The practitioners demonstrated the five exercises, which drew the attention of the event-goers.

Many people did not know about Falun Gong, but were curious and asked for more information. The practitioners told them about this peaceful practice and that it is embraced worldwide. They also told them that it is being persecuted in China.

Karren, a passerby, expressed interested in the practice. She said, “I really want to learn it. Please tell me where there is a practice site.” Hearing about the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) brutal persecution and live organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners, she had tears in eyes and said indignantly, “This is so evil! It must be stopped! I will tell people I know to condemn it!”

It was hard for some people to understand why the CCP persecutes Falun Gong. The practitioners explained that the CCP fears losing control once people have freedom of thought and follow Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, the principles of Falun Gong.