(Minghui.org) World Falun Dafa Day was celebrated last weekend in four cities in Australia: Brisbane, Queensland; Adelaide, South Australia; Perth, West Australia; and Sydney.
Practitioners held parades, did the exercises as a group, performed, and distributed Falun Dafa information. They also expressed their appreciation to Master Li.
Practitioners Celebrate World Falun Dafa Day in Brisbane
Falun Dafa practitioners in Queensland wish Master Li a happy birthday.
More than 30 politicians, including Ms. Annastacia Palaszczuk, Premier of Queensland; Mayor Graham Quirk of Brisbane; members of parliament; and city council members sent congratulatory letters to the Falun Dafa Association of Queensland.
The practitioners' exercise demonstration on Brisbane Square in downtown intrigued many passersby and tourists. Poster boards with information on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s persecution of Falun Dafa and live organ harvesting also drew people's attention. More than 500 signed the petition to stop the live organ harvesting in China during the event.
People sign a petition calling for an end to the CCP's live organ harvesting.
“The persecution is wrong!” said Valarie Rodios, a passerby, after signing the petition, “It is important to let more people know about it. When people know about the persecution, they will be sympathetic and help stop it.”
At the end of the event, the practitioners took a group photo and video footage to wish Master Li a happy birthday.
Practitioners in South Australia Celebrate World Falun Dafa Day
Falun Dafa practitioners gathered on Victoria Square in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, on May 10 to celebrate the 16th World Falun Dafa Day. They did the exercises together, held banners, set up poster boards, distributed informational materials, and collected signatures to raise awareness about Falun Dafa and the CCP persecution in China.
Falun Dafa practitioners doing the exercises on Victoria Square in Adelaide
It was a sunny day and the square was buzzing with activity. Passersby stopped to learn more.
Passersby sign a petition to end the persecution of Falun Dafa in China.
Nik, who works in an advertisement company, was drawn to the exercise demonstration and poster boards on the square. He said, “I like this. The energy makes me feel good. I'd like to learn it.” A practitioner told him about Falun Dafa and invited him to join the weekly group practice on the square.
Elianna is a visiting scholar from Slovakia at the University of Adelaide. It was the first time she had ever heard about the CCP persecution of Falun Dafa in China. She could not understand why such a peaceful practice would be persecuted. She signed the petition and asked what she could help to stop the persecution. She said she would bring the information home to her country.
Practitioners in West Australia Celebrate World Falun Dafa Day
Falun Dafa practitioners in West Australia celebrated in downtown Perth by doing the exercises, playing the waist drums, performing a dragon dance, and telling passersby about the practice. Many people stopped to watch and took photos.
Falun Dafa practitioners in West Australia celebrate World Falun Dafa Day.
A Chinese couple watched the performances and took photos and video footage. A practitioner handed them informational materials. The husband said, “We know about the persecution of Falun Dafa. We are from Shenyang, Liaoning Province. One of our relatives is being persecuted for practicing Falun Dafa.” The practitioner saw tears in their eyes.
The practitioner asked them if they had quit the Party. The wife said, “We quit in China. We are so happy to see you here.”
A couple of Chinese descent from Indonesia said, “We know what the CCP is really like. Its persecution of Falun Dafa is a crime. We know the practice is good and would like to learn it. Where can we get that kind of information?” A practitioner told them to download it from www.falundafa.org for free and then learn from a practitioner as there are many practitioners in Indonesia.
Raquel Padilla is an immigrant from Argentina. She said she watched the documentary film, “Human Harvest: China’s Organ Trafficking” broadcast by Australian TV station SBS. She said she was invited to join the communist party when she was in South America, but refused because she knew it promoted violence. She said she was interested in learning Falun Dafa and would download information at home.
Practitioners in Sydney and Melbourne Celebrate Falun Dafa Day
Several hundred practitioners from Sydney and Melbourne held a rally in the morning and a parade at 1:00 p.m. on May 9 to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day. The Divine Land Marching Band led the parade that started at Hyde Park and ended in Chinatown.
Several hundreds practitioners from Sydney and Melbourne held a parade in Sydney.
The parade was divided into three sections: “Falun Dafa is great,” “Protesting the persecution,” and “The world needs Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”
Many spectators signed the petition calling for an end to the CCP's live organ harvesting. The petition will be sent to UN Human Rights Council. Many people took photos of the parade.
