(Clearwisdom.net) At an Indian community celebration at Toronto's City Hall on April 26, 2013, Toronto Falun Gong practitioners collected signatures to call for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong in China. In just three hours, nearly 600 people showed their support by signing the petition.

Many people signed a petition calling for an end to the persecution in front of Toronto City Hall on April 26

Falun Gong practitioners in Toronto have been doing the exercises as a group in front of City Hall for the past ten years. On April 26, they drew attention to the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China and collected signatures at an Indian community celebration. Within three hours, all of their printed materials were distributed, and 584 signatures had been collected. While many people had heard about the persecution, they were shocked to hear about the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) crime of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners.

After learning about the persecution, a social worker asked Falun Gong practitioners repeatedly, “What can I do to help you?” He signed the petition form and asked for five blank forms to collect signatures from his friends. Half hour later, he came back with 40 signatures. He asked for another blank form to make copies so that he could collect more signatures from family and friends. He also left his contact information with Falun Gong practitioners.

A gentleman from Ottawa said that he was a government official. He expressed his support and said that he would ask other people to sign the petition as well.

A middle-aged couple told a practitioner that they felt like they knew him because they had seen him do the Falun Gong exercises in front of the Chinese Consulate every day. They praised the practitioners for their peacefulness and compassion and signed the petition to show their support.

One man told the practitioners that he was signing on behalf of his whole family. He explained that in his native country, a representative of the family can sign for the whole family.

As four practitioners demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises, several people attentively copied their movements. Others took pictures.