(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners participated in the 40th Cabbagetown Festival in downtown Toronto on September 10-11, 2016, after being invited by festival organizers. The event included a grand parade, art performance, and handicraft product exhibition. Over 100,000 people attended the event.
The Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) booth had banners with the words “Falun Dafa is Wonderful” and “Stop the Chinese Communist Party's Live Organ Harvesting.” The Falun Gong practitioners' yellow T-shirts, Falun Gong books, and small paper-folded lotus flowers at the booth drew the attention of many visitors. Many booth visitors also signed postcards to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asking him to raise the issue of Falun Gong during an upcoming meeting with the Chinese Prime Minister on his visit to Canada. The postcards also requested that the Canadian Prime Minister urge his counterpart to stop the persecution of Falun Gong and the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) state-sanctioned organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners. Visitors also signed petition forms to Canadian Parliament requesting help in stopping the persecution.
Visitors pause to talk with Falun Gong practitioners and learn more about the practice and the CCP's persecution.
Visitors sign the petition at the Falun Gong booth.
People from all walks of life signed the petition.
Visitors pause to sign the petition no matter rain or shine.
The signature collection was warm and touching. Many people signed the postcards, including a candidate for Toronto City Council, the president of a global organization, handicapped persons, and others, young and old.
The first day was windy and rainy at times. Despite the weather, many visitors paused to sign the petition at the Falun Gong booth. Some visitors were tearful after listening to practitioners explain the CCP's live organ harvesting, and they signed the petition right away. Some visitors also asked their family members and friends to sign after signing themselves.
Candidate for Toronto City Council: Let More People Know About the Persecution
Zuhair Syed, candidate for Toronto City Council.
Zuhair Syed, a candidate for Toronto City Council, passed by and came to the Falun Gong booth. Mr. Syed said, “The Communist Party kills people to harvest organs for profit. It is a tragedy. Many people have been killed for organs. I think it is a disgrace for the Party, as it allows the live organ harvesting in China. It is one of the most important human rights issues in the world.”
He said he would stress the issue in his campaign for the city council and let people know about the human rights violations. He thought the best way to stop the persecution was to let all people around the world know about it. If people don't know, they can’t do anything. But people who know about the persecution will tell others about it. When all people know the facts, the CCP will have to stop the persecution. Mr. Syed commended the practitioners with a thumbs-up after signing the postcard and petition form.
President of a Global Organization: I Will Help You to Stop the Persecution
Afewerki Dagnew, president of a global organization.
Afewerki Dagnew is president and chief executive officer of a global organization. When passing by, he saw the practitioners distributing flyers of Hard to Believe, a free documentary film about the killing of prisoners of conscience for their organs in China.
He got a stack of flyers from a practitioner and said, “I want to distribute these flyers to community leaders from each country I often meet with. I will tell them about the human rights persecution. We will work together to help you solve the issue.”
Mr. Dagnew said he signed the petition form long ago. He said, “I signed it as I want to help Falun Gong practitioners to stop the persecution and have them live peacefully and safely in this world. It is a human rights issue.”
He left his contact information with a practitioner and asked to keep in touch before departing.
Charitable Organization Head: It Is Too Horrible to Save One Person by Killing Another.
Dennis Silva, head of a charitable organization.
Dennis Silva, the head of a charitable organization, signed the petition against the CCP's live organ harvesting. He said, “It is a terrible thing to take organs from a living person for transplantation and leave the donor dying. The live organ harvesting is only for profit. It is too horrible to save one person by killing another.”
Ontario Merchandiser: I Hope Falun Gong Practitioners in China Will Gain Freedom.
Ontario merchandiser Dianne Legault (right) and her friend.
Dianne Legault, a merchandiser from Azilda, attended the event with her friend after driving for over three and half hours. They stepped forward to take a look when passing by and seeing the small lotus flowers at the Falun Gong booth.
Dianne and her friend signed the postcards and petition form. She said, “Falun Gong practitioners have no freedom to do what they like, but are persecuted and victims of live organ harvesting. So I’d like to sign the petition against the persecution. I hope that Falun Gong practitioners in China gain freedom and have a better life.”
Vietnamese Visitor: I'd Like to Buy Zhuan Falun in Vietnamese
Thu Pham and her daughter.
Near the end of the event, Thu Pham, a Vietnamese visitor with her daughter, passed by the Falun Gong booth. She signed the petition form and accepted a flyer. She asked whether Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Gong, was available at the booth, as she wanted to buy a copy.
She said, “I read the introduction of Falun Gong in a Vietnamese newspaper and Internet. The practice is beneficial to health. So I'd like to get a copy of the book to read.”
A practitioner advised her to buy a copy from the Tianti Bookstore as the practitioners did not have it available in the booth. Thu took a business card for the bookstore and thanked the practitioner. She said she would start practicing Falun Gong after reading the book.
