(Minghui.org) As crowds of students passed through the plaza hosting the annual Activities Day at Columbia University in New York, many stopped by the table of the student-run Falun Dafa Club, eager to learn about the spiritual practice. The event was held on September 9, 2013, and included over 300 clubs and organizations on campus.

Practitioners gave out informational flyers in English, Chinese, and Korean, as well as CDs of the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Part y in Chinese, so that both American and international students could learn about Falun Dafa and the ongoing persecution of Dafa practitioners in China.

They also collected signatures to call on the Chinese communist regime to immediately cease the horrendous practice of forced organ harvesting. Thousands of Falun Dafa practitioners in China have been imprisoned and killed on demand for their organs—many had their organs extracted while they were still alive.

Students learn about Falun Dafa and sign petition to condemn the Chinese communist regime for harvesting organs from living Falun Dafa practitioners for profit.

Chinese Students Learn the Facts about Falun Dafa

Since launching the persecution in 1999, the Chinese communist regime has spared no efforts in slandering and defaming Falun Dafa through all possible channels each and every day. As a result of the regime's control of all print and broadcast media, as well as the Internet, many people in China have had no opportunity to learn the facts about the spiritual practice.

Although some Chinese students were surprised to learn that there was a Falun Dafa Club on campus, many were open to talking with practitioners manning the table.

“I’ve heard many things about Falun Dafa, but now I want to know the truth,” said one Chinese student as he picked up a flier.

A girl from mainland China asked a practitioner about the “real situation” with Falun Dafa. “I've never quite understood why it is being persecuted,” she said.

“It isn’t just the media that spreads the negative views about Falun Dafa [in China],” she added. “Our textbooks provided a lot of information about Falun Dafa as well. However, not everything contained inside these textbooks can be believed.”

She gave an example. “I recall my teacher telling our whole class the real story behind the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, though she warned everyone that she was telling them the truth 'under the table.'”

Western Students Show Interest in Learning Falun Dafa

By the end of the day, more than 10 people had left their contact details so that they could be reached to learn the practice of Falun Dafa.

A Western student came over to the practitioners' table and asked, “Where are the morning exercise classes held?” She said that she had learned Falun Dafa exercises before and was now looking for a group to do them with.

An African American girl wrote down her name and email address, saying that she was very interested in learning the meditation practice.

An Indian girl and her sister also stopped by the practitioners' table. One of the sisters had heard about the persecution in China. Both sisters expressed strong support for Falun Dafa.