(Minghui.org) Nearly a thousand Falun Gong practitioners from the greater New York area participated in a parade on Eighth Avenue in Brooklyn, the third-largest Chinese community in New York City, on Saturday, March 2, 2019.
Led by the 160-member Tian Guo Marching Band, practitioners in the parade demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises, performed a traditional Chinese lion dance, dragon dance, and waist drums. They also displayed banners to raise awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong in China.
Falun Gong practitioners hold a parade on Eighth Avenue in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, March 2, 2019.
Mr. Zhou, the owner of a store on 8th Avenue, and his friend Mr. Lin praised the practitioners' performance. “It’s great that Falun Gong performs here every year,” Mr. Zhou said, “The march is full of positive energy.”
Mr. Chen
Another spectator, Mr. Chen, filmed the band's performance. “This is a Chinese march,” he said proudly, “Very impressive. I will watch it again at home.”
Four Hundred Chinese Quit the Communist Party
Falun Gong practitioners have been telling the public about the brutal persecution in China for twenty years. Their efforts have achieved great success, as many residents in Brooklyn's Chinese community now know about Falun Gong.
Watching the parade, Mr. Jiang told a Minghui reporter, “Falun Gong improves people's mind and body, but the government suppresses them and even forcibly harvests their organs. It's against humanity. I support their peaceful resistance.”
Mr. Jiang said he will share the video he made of the parade on social media.
Ms. Dong Yanxin said, “When I was little, I believed the Chinese government and misunderstood Falun Gong. Now, I know that Falun Gong practitioners are good and kind people.”
When asked if she wanted to quit the Chinese Communist Party and its youth organizations, she said, “The Communist Party persecutes a lot of people of faith. I was a member of the Young Pioneers, and now I quit.”
Chinese spectators expressed happiness to see the practitioners' parade through their community. “It’s exciting,” Ms. Wu said, “You cannot see it in China. It’s great that Falun Gong can freely make their voices heard here.”
Li Xiang, a young man who moved to the U.S. from China two years ago, said he didn't know much about Falun Gong but is interested in reading more about it. “The march shows portraits of people who were tortured to death,” he said, “It is wrong to persecute good people.”
During the march, practitioners passed out more than 2,000 flyers introducing Falun Gong. More than 400 Chinese quit the Communist Party and its youth organizations.
New Year Event in Brooklyn
Three weekends before the parade, during the Chinese New Year season, practitioners held another event on Eighth Avenue, where nearly 300 Chinese quit the Party.
Practitioners pass out Falun Gong materials on Eighth Avenue and help Chinese people quit the Communist Party.
Practitioners passed out new year gifts—colorful balloons printed with “Falun Dafa is good” and “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” as well as booklets introducing the meditation and spiritual practice in Chinese.
Related article in Chinese:纽约布碌仑法轮功游行-四百华人三退
