(Minghui.org) Every Saturday from August 1 to October 3, Falun Dafa practitioners have held peaceful appeals in front of the Parliament Building in Quebec. They did the exercises, displayed banners, distributed informational materials, and collected signatures on a petition to end the persecution. Practitioners from Quebec City, Montreal, and Sherbrooke urged the Quebec government to resist the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) transnational repression and allow Shen Yun to perform in Quebec.
Practitioners peacefully appealed in front of the Quebec Parliament Building between August 1 and October 3 (Minghui.org)
Passersby talk with practitioners to learn more. (Minghui.org)
Passersby talked with practitioners or took photos. Some signed petitions and said they hope the situation changes soon.
A Bomb Threat a Year Ago
The appeal started with an incident over a year ago. In April 2025, the live chat on Shen Yun Performing Arts’ ticketing website received a strange message. It threatened the upcoming Shen Yun performance at the Place des Arts in Montreal, which was scheduled for April 9 to 13. The person(s) who sent the threat said they would shoot the artists and throw Molotov cocktails at the stage during the performance unless it was canceled.
This was not an isolated incident. Since Shen Yun Performing Arts was established 20 years ago, it has received over 200 death threats. Many similar threats have claimed to come from people associated with the CCP. Authorities in Taiwan were able to trace some threats received by theaters in Taiwan to a location in China that also houses a Huawei office. None of these threats have been carried out.
Ever since the threatening message in April, 2025, the Place des Arts has refused to allow Shen Yun to perform, although Shen Yun has performed there every year since 2007.
Falun Dafa practitioner Denis Cantin said the threat and the theater’s refusal to allow Shen Yun to perform is an extension of the CCP’s persecution of his faith on Canadian soil. Shen Yun Performing Arts was founded by Falun Dafa practitioners to promote traditional Chinese culture and to raise awareness of the persecution of Falun Dafa in China.
“All of this is very close to my heart,” Cantin said. “This transnational repression should not exist.”
Denis Cantin participates in the appeal to tell people about the CCP’s transnational repression. (Minghui.org)
Global News, a Canadian news media outlet, revealed earlier this year that CCP officials met with officials from the Vancouver city government to discuss canceling Shen Yun’s performances in that city. However, the city government refused.
In May, a similar incident happened at the Four Seasons Theater in Toronto, where Shen Yun’s shows were canceled after a bomb threat. With support from the public and the efforts of the Shen Yun organizer as well as increased security measures, the theater scheduled new dates for the performances at the end of June.
“Today I’m here to inform people about the CCP’s transnational repression and to share my experiences of practicing Falun Dafa,” said Cantin. He and the other practitioners did the exercises, distributed flyers, explained why they were holding the appeal, and collected signatures on petitions that call on the Quebec government to stand up to the CCP’s suppression and allow Shen Yun to return to Montreal.
Practitioners explain why they held the appeal. (Minghui.org)
People sign the petition. (Minghui.org)
Say No to the Suppression
Many passersby were unaware of the CCP’s transnational repression that is happening in Canada. Seeing the peaceful appeal in the city center, many local residents and tourists talked with practitioners.
A man from Quebec and his Vietnamese wife talked with practitioners and said they were familiar with Falun Dafa after seeing it in parks in Vietnam and Thailand. They were shocked to learn that the persecution reached Canada and said it is unacceptable. The man is a Canadian citizen, and he signed the petition in support.
A couple from Cuba who now live in Toronto said they knew Communist regimes suppress anyone who does not follow communist ideology. They also signed the petition to support practitioners.
A man who lives in London stopped to get information because he wasn’t aware of the transnational repression, and he thanked practitioners for being there. He said, “I saw the Shen Yun ad on TV, and it is very beautiful.” He took informational flyers, wished practitioners well, and said he hoped their appeal would bring about change.
A young American from Texas encouraged practitioners. (Minghui.org)
A young American tourist from Texas and his mother, who were riding in a taxi, stopped to pick up some information. He took all the informational brochures, thanked the practitioner, and said, “God bless you.”
A school principal from India was moved by Falun Dafa’s guiding principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and said, “When I return to India, I will contact the Falun Dafa practitioners in our area, so that they can come and introduce Falun Dafa to our students.”
During the event, many motorists honked their horns and gave practitioners a thumbs-up to show their support.
Sharing Personal Stories
Substantial evidence shows that the CCP’s transnational repression includes demonizing targeted groups by using mainstream and social media overseas. For Cantin, this event also offers an opportunity to explain the situation to Canadians and tell them about Falun Dafa by sharing his personal story.
Cantin began to practice Falun Dafa five years ago. It all began when a friend invited him to a Falun Dafa practice session. Cantin went there, and after he did the exercises, he said he felt calmer and rejuvenated. “My life changed since I started reading Zhuan Falun, the main teachings of Falun Dafa,” he said. With newly gained understanding of life, he now feels peaceful, confident, and more tolerant.
Cantin found it very beneficial to apply Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in his daily life. “This also makes it easier for me to discern what is good and what is bad,” he explained. “I wish I had known Falun Dafa when I was twenty.”
All content published on this website is copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
