(Clearwisdom.net) On July 31, 2010, the Eighth Annual Greater Portland Festival of Nations was held at Deering Oaks Park, in Portland Maine. The Falun Dafa practitioners' booth taught the visitors how to make paper lotus flowers, which many people liked very much.

Paula is Native American and can weave many kinds of baskets. She also knows how to make a lotus flower basket, so she was very curious about making a paper lotus flower. When she learned that Falun Gong is popular around the world and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is persecuting Falun Gong, she took some video CDs and said she wanted to learn more about Falun Dafa.

Two local residents, Gail Root and Christine Racine, saw the peaceful Falun Gong exercise demonstration and wanted to learn the exercises.

A man from Vietnam read the display boards and said he could understand what was happening in China since he was from a Communist country where Vietnamese were also suppressed by the Vietnamese Communist party. He expressed his sympathy and praised Falun Gong practitioners' peaceful endeavors to end the persecution.

Susan McKeen-Worrcy came to the event from Windham. When she learned the facts about Falun Dafa and the persecution, she was very shocked upon learning of the Chinese Communist Party's tortures and atrocities. She signed her name on the petition, and said that the atrocities were unimaginable.

Dr. Nancy Hendvie told Falun Dafa practitioners that she understood and had experienced the CCP suppression of Chinese people. She visited China on a medical mission in 1995. She was arrested while simply walking around at a university. She said, "You shall have the right of freedom to practice your belief."

Resident Mr. Keith Bellas compared the persecution to some of the atrocities that took place in World War II. He also said that America should be more courageous and tell the Chinese authorities that it is not allowed to do such inhuman things, since the two nations have strong trade ties.