(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners participated in the annual Railroad Days Festival in Snoqualmie, Washington on August 28-29, 2021. They set up an information booth and participated in the parade.

Mr. Matt Larson, the mayor of Snoqualmie, and Ms. Kathy Lambert, King’s County council member, visited with practitioners and took a group photo. Practitioners further clarified the truth to the mayor and Ms. Lambert. She said that when she visited China she told her tour guide to treasure his life. Ms. Lambert said that she was not surprised that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) persecutes Falun Dafa practitioners since she knows how evil the Party is.

Mr. Matt Larson, mayor of Snoqualmie, and Ms. Kathy Lambert, King’s County council member, talk with Falun Dafa practitioners..

Mayor Matt Larson and council member Ms. Kathy Lambert, take a group picture with practitioners.

As the Falun Dafa parade entry passed by many spectators called out encouraging words, such as, “Very beautiful!” and, “Thank you for coming” and, “Your entry is the best!” Practitioners demonstrated the five sets of Falun Dafa exercises on the float and two Vietnamese practitioners dressed in their traditional clothing waved to parade attendees. The waist drum team performed several joyous and cheerful pieces including “Falun Dafa is good.” The drumming added to the festive atmosphere and several people clapped in time to the music.

Practitioners distributed informational materials about Falun Dafa, and many people put their palms together (heshi) to express their gratitude. Some took the truth-clarification flyers with both hands. One police officer said, “Thank you for attending our parade. It was an amazing performance!”

Practitioners participated in the parade which is part of the annual Railroad Days Festival in Snoqualmie, Washington, August 28-29, 2021.

Practitioners demonstrate the exercises on the flower boat.

Several people clapped in time to the music performed by the waist-drum team.

Several local residents thanked Falun Dafa practitioners for participating in the parade.

When the parade ended, locals headed over to the information booth to learn more about Falun Dafa and the persecution. Many people signed the petition that called for an end to forced live organ harvesting which targets practitioners in China. Practitioners also clarified the truth to the many political party members running for office at each booth.

Mayor Matt Larson issued proclamations honoring Falun Dafa in 2007 and 2021. The day after the proclamation was issued in 2007, the Chinese consulate in San Francisco sent two officials to meet with him, and asked that he rescind it. The mayor rejected their request—instead he invited local Falun Dafa practitioners to participate in the meeting with consulate officials. For more information please read: “Newspaper in Washington State Exposes the Chinese Consulate Interfering with U.S. Official Awarding Falun Gong (Photos).”

Background: What is Falun Dafa?

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 have embraced the teachings—which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance as well as five gentle exercises—and experienced uplifted 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, issued an order to ban the practice.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 22 years. The actual number is believed to be much higher. More 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 the organ transplant industry.

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.