(Minghui.org) (Continued from Part One)
Falun Dafa practitioners held an event at Nathan Phillips Square near Toronto’s city hall on May 11, 2025, to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of Dafa’s introduction to the public in 1992.
The peaceful and gentle exercises attracted many people, who stopped to watch and take pictures. After they did the exercises, practitioners presented various performances including poetry recitation, dancing, singing, and music. The performances were followed by a one-hour parade from Grange Park to the city center.
World Falun Dafa Day celebration at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto
Tour Group
A tour group watches and takes photos as Dafa practitioners do the exercises.
Shortly after the event started, a tour group from Missouri came to visit City Hall. The tour guide was curious about the event and asked a practitioner about it. When she heard it was a World Falun Dafa Day celebration, the tour guide said she’d heard about Falun Dafa. She told her tour group about Falun Dafa and asked the practitioner to provide more details.
The practitioner gave a brief introduction to Falun Dafa and how the practice improves mind and body. The tourists nodded when they heard the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and they accepted flyers. The tour guide added that the practice is currently suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), but is well accepted elsewhere. Some tourists said they were sorry to hear about the persecution.
One woman said she liked the exercise music and asked where she could buy a copy. She was happy to hear that the music can be downloaded for free at FalunDafa.org.
Peace and Harmony
Ellen from the United Kingdom
Ellen from the U.K. works in finance and she and her husband were visiting Toronto and Niagara Falls. They were curious about the World Falun Dafa Day celebration and stopped to watch.
Upon seeing the large-scale group exercise, Ellen said she liked the serene atmosphere. A practitioner told her about Falun Dafa and how the practice has benefited practitioners as well as their families in over 100 countries. Ellen agreed with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and remarked that they are something missing in society today. She feels that these principles can bring people peace and harmony.
Ellen was surprised that something so beneficial is persecuted by the CCP. She said she would tell her family and friends about it, and said she hopes the suppression will end soon.
Importance of Kindness
Amy said she likes Falun Dafa’s principles, especially Truthfulness and Compassion.
Amy, also from the U.K., is a manager at a childcare facility. She and her husband were in Toronto visiting her husband’s relatives. The couple spent a long time watching the group exercises and the performances, and said they enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere.
Having previously heard about Falun Dafa and the suppression in China, Amy said she agreed with Truthfulness and Compassion, adding that all people need to follow them. She said that these principles are part of our inborn character and we should not forget them.
Amy also signed a petition that urged a stop to the persecution in China. She said freedom of belief is important, but she saw that it was missing in China when she visited the country in 2008. She is also aware of the tight censorship in China and that certain major social media platforms, such as Facebook, are banned there.
A Better Society
Anks is an IT professional who lives in Toronto. He was interested in the performances and watched them attentively. He also talked to a practitioner and learned more about Falun Dafa.
Anks said that this was the first time he’d heard about Falun Dafa. He was glad to know that this practice includes gentle exercises and focuses on the improvement of mind nature. He felt that Falun Dafa would be beneficial. He also believes that the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance can help build a better society.
Anks said he enjoyed the performances very much, especially the lion dance. He added that from watching the exercises and the performances, he could tell that practitioners are a group of good people.
Chinese People Quit the CCP
A young Chinese couple watched the performances and asked a practitioner for more information. The practitioner told them about Falun Dafa and the young man signed the petition calling to end the persecution in China. He said he has a relative in China who is about 90 who still practices Falun Dafa.
The young man said that such a celebration cannot be seen in China, since the CCP does not allow freedom of belief. After chatting more with the practitioner about the CCP’s brutality, both he and his friend decided to renounce their membership in the Communist Youth League and the Young Pioneers, the CCP’s two junior organizations that they’d joined when they were children.
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