Collecting Signatures at Venice Beach in Los Angeles

On April 14 and 15, 2001, and also during Easter weekend, there were a lot of tourists at Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California. After Falun Dafa practitioners arrived here and set up information boards and a table on the roadside, several of them started performing the Falun Gong exercises. Other practitioners clarified the truth about Falun Dafa to the tourists, and collected signatures in support of the condemnation of China's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners for the Geneva Human Rights Commission Conference. In this street facing the sea, there were many souvenir shops and restaurants, and even dance performances on the street. Our activity site was next to a dance circle. On one side, it was deafening music and dances that were close to craziness; on the other side, it was graceful and peaceful exercise performance. Practitioners who were doing the exercises seemed not to be bothered by the surrounding noise. They gently closed their eyes, and focused on the exercise movements. They repeatedly demonstrated five sets of exercises to the accompaniment of the gentle exercise music. The striking contrast of the two sides drew large audiences, and many who originally watched the dance performances moved to Dafa's (great law and universal principle) side. Some of them watched the exercise demonstration, others looked at the information boards, and some carefully read through the Dafa truth-clarifying materials. Still some people talked with practitioners, asking questions such as "What is Falun Gong?" and "What exactly is happening in China?" When they saw the startling and harrowing pictures depicting the Falun Dafa practitioners in China who were persecuted to death and tortured to disability, many of them frowned and shook their heads again and again. One elderly lady from the UK said that she had watched the news on TV in the UK, and she knew that Falun Gong had received inequitable treatment in China. Many people who have learned about the true facts asked for pens and forms, and earnestly signed their name and address. A young man with blonde hair passed by here. When he heard that the signature was in support of Falun Gong, he said in Chinese, "I want to sign the petition!" As a matter of fact, he had lived in China for three years, and he had long heard about Falun Gong. After he signed, he asked his friend to sign as well. Some people wanted to learn the exercises after signing their names. We happily satisfied their request. A couple from Ohio learned the five sets of exercises all at one time, and expressed that they would continue practicing the exercises after they went back home. During the two days, nearly a thousand people signed their names and addresses on the forms in support of Falun Dafa. Looking at these signatures with all the different handwritings, we know that another group of people with righteous minds have correctly placed their future positions. Provided by practitioners from Los Angeles April 15, 2001