(Clearwisdom.net) On May 13, 2007, Falun Gong practitioners in Los Angeles held activities to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day in Santa Monica. Many tourists enjoyed practitioners' performances and joined in the celebrations. The Mayor of Los Angles, Antonio R. Villaraigosa, and city council members Herb Wesson and Richard Alarcon sent letters of congratulations.
Demonstrating the exercises
Tang-style drum
Traditional Chinese dance
Congratulations letter from the mayor
Practitioners demonstrated the exercises and then they reviewed the history and background of Falun Dafa and shared their cultivation experiences.
Persecution cannot shake practitioners' belief.
Prof. Wu Yingnian from UCLA briefly reviewed the history and background of Falun Dafa. He pointed out that the CCP cannot tolerate Falun Dafa's teaching and launched the persecution, but the brutal persecution cannot shake practitioners' belief. He also pointed out that Falun Gong practitioners do not seek political power.
Prof. Wu said that the reason that practitioners clarify the facts of Falun Gong and expose the CCP's brutality is because the CCP never stops the persecution and keeps making lies about Falun Gong. Practitioners' purpose is to let more people recognize the evil nature of the CCP and quit the party, which is good for both individuals and the country.
Prof. Wu pointed out that the persecution didn't eliminate Falun Gong, instead it promoted Falun Gong. The persecution will end soon and all the CCP officials who are involved will meet with justice.
It is hard to describe my happiness of cultivating Falun Gong.
Carol, a practitioner, shared her experience of obtaining Falun Dafa.
Carol started practicing Falun Gong two years ago. She and her husband learned about Falun Gong from the Epoch Times newspaper. They read the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and thought that the book was very good. They then sought out a Falun Gong book and started practicing Falun Gong.
Carol said that Zhuan Falun is an amazing book, which answered many of the questions she'd spent her life seeking answers to. She also said that practicing Falun Gong healed her diseases.
Ms. Zhao Tiling started practicing Falun Gong in 2003. She had tried many different practices but none of them satisfied her, and she developed many diseases.
In 2003, a friend of hers lent her a copy of Zhuan Falun. She was attracted to the book. After practicing Falun Gong, all of her diseases were healed and her heart settled down. She learned how to consider others and her temper improved.
Viewing the art work
After sharing experiences, practitioners performed Chinese dance, songs, martial arts and recited poetry.
Many tourists enjoyed the performances. Some of them even watched the whole celebration.
Practitioners wish Master Li a happy birthday.
At the end, they practitioners posed for group photos and wished Master a Happy Birthday.
