(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners in Queensland participated in the Grand Central Floral Parade in Toowoomba on September 16, 2023. This is the 24th year that practitioners were invited to participate in this popular event and share Falun Dafa with the community. The host and attendees warmly welcomed practitioners and praised Falun Dafa.
Organized by the Toowoomba government, the Grand Central Floral Parade has a history of 74 years and is an iconic feature of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers. This year’s theme is bees, because they represent hard work and collaboration between communities. More than 80 groups participated this year, bringing floats, bands, and cultural performances to the parade. This year, over 100,000 people joined the celebration.
Falun Dafa practitioners were invited to participate in the Grand Central Floral Parade in Toowoomba on September 16, 2023.
Led by the Tian Guo Marching Band, practitioners carried colorful banner with the words, “Falun Dafa.” Band members from Sydney and Melbourne dressed in traditional Chinese costumes played, “Falun Dafa Is Good,” “Triumphant Return,” and “The Sacred Song.” Spectators along the parade route warmly applauded them.
Practitioners’ lotus flower, waist drum and dragon dance performances were also well received. Many people applauded and cheered. Some people called out, “The principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are awesome!”
Narrators along the parade route introduced the various groups. Among them was David Iliffe, a radio host in Qeensland, who announced that the practitioners were from the Queensland area and that they followed Falun Dafa, an ancient cultivation system that brings health and inner peace.
Jenny Woodward from ABC News commended Falun Dafa for the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and five sets of exercises. She remarked that the costumes and colors in the parade were excellent, and the waist drum performance was energizing.
Pastor: Falun Dafa Benefits Communities
Pastor Daphne Webster said she agrees with Falun Dafa’s principles.
Daphne Webster, a pastor and a girl scout leader, thanked Falun Dafa practitioners for coming to the event every year and adding such beautiful and colorful performances.
She agreed with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and said they show people how to treat others well and help each other. She also said the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Dafa is wrong.
People Praise Falun Dafa’s Values
Vimal praised Falun Dafa’s traditional values.
Vimal from India is an accountant and now lives in Toowoomba. He and his family have watched the parade for the past six years. Vimal, his wife and child said they were impressed by the practitioners’ performances, including the dragon dance.
He was glad that Falun Dafa practitioners are sharing traditional values with the Queensland community. He said the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are universal values.
People Condemn the Suppression
Thomas said he hopes people will help end the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa.
Thomas from Ipswich came to the parade with his brother, and said he enjoyed the Tian Guo Marching Band’s performances. He added that the traditional costumes were beautiful and the dragon dance was superb, making for memorable performances.
Thomas said he could not understand why the CCP would suppress such a peaceful group. He said Falun Dafa is wonderful and the persecution shows that the CCP is vicious. He hopes the international community will join together and bring the persecution to an end.
Outstanding Performance
Ryan, a lawyer, said the Tian Guo Marching Band’s performances were extraordinary. He said that he felt fortunate to see such a professional marching band. He also said that the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance can benefit communities tremendously.
Vicky (right), a teacher from Toowoomba, said she really liked Falun Dafa practitioners’ performances, from their colorful costumes to the inspiring music.
Background: What Is Falun Dafa and Why Is the CCP Persecuting It?
Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings, which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and have learned the five exercises, have experienced improved health and well-being.
Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, he issued an order to eradicate the practice.
Under Jiang’s personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.
Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 24 years, though due to the difficulty in getting information out of China, the actual number is believed to be much higher. Countless practitioners have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.
There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply China’s organ transplant industry.
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