(Minghui.org) Despite the cold and rain, Falun Dafa practitioners in New York gathered in Brooklyn’s Chinatown on February 16, 2025, and held a grand parade on Eighth Avenue to celebrate Chinese New Year. Consisting of 24 parts in three sections, the march was led by the Tian Guo Marching Band, followed by a banner team, practitioners demonstrating the exercises, a giant Falun emblem, a book model of Zhuan Falun, and a waist drum team.
The parade's themes were “Falun Dafa is good,” “Stop the persecution of Falun Dafa,” and “Celebrating 440 Million People Who Quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).” After talking with practitioners, 98 Chinese people decided to renounce their memberships in the CCP organizations. They include 8 CCP members, 16 Youth League members, and 74 Young Pioneer members.
The parade on February 16 was led by the Tian Guo Marching Band.
The first section of the procession was “Falun Dafa is good.” The image is a typical auspicious picture in Chinese culture: a child with an ancient Chinese hairstyle; the child is surrounded by lotus flowers (representing blessings) and fish (symbolizing prosperity).
Two banners welcome the Chinese New Year
Falun Dafa classes are free of charge.
More banners
Banners with messages exposing the persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Quitting the CCP for a better future
Seeing practitioners walking from 41st Street to 59th Street in the rain, many spectators praised their efforts. One person said, “I like Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Those words mean a lot to me.”
“Practitioners are well dressed, walk with energy and high spirits – I like everything about the parade,” another one added.
“This is something I’ve looked for in a Chinese New Year celebration. Really awesome!” someone else said.
In spite of the rain, passersby stopped to watch and many took pictures and videos, saying that they would share these with their friends. Some recent Chinese immigrants were very impressed by the parade. One of them exclaimed, “Look! Police on motorcycles are leading the way!” He said this would be unimaginable in China because police would arrest those who rally or march on the street, especially Falun Dafa practitioners.
No Longer Believing the CCP’s Propaganda
Jiang, a man in his 30s who recently immigrated from China, said that he was shocked to see the parade. Having seen the CCP’s massive defamatory propaganda campaign against Falun Dafa in mainland China and brutal suppression, he said the parade made him rethink this issue. “To be fair, Falun Dafa is just a belief system – unlike what the CCP claims,” he explained. “Everyone should have the freedom to choose what he or she likes.”
He added the procession was large and well organized, “I can see people from different age groups and different ethnic groups. This shows Falun Dafa is indeed good and has attracted people from various backgrounds.”
Kuang said he came to the United States two years ago. Living in the countryside of Guangdong Province in the past, he was aware that Falun Dafa was suppressed by the CCP. But in the U.S. such a large parade was allowed, and the police was even leading the way. “This would be impossible in China,” he said. “It’s so touching to see the parade being held despite the rain. This shows the practitioners like the practice very much.”
With little understanding of Falun Dafa in the past, Kuang said he now agreed with the words of “Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance” on the banners. “When interacting with others, one needs to be sincere, kind, and tolerant. People my age know this; without these principles, we’ll have problems,” he said.
Li said that she liked the practitioners’ peaceful demeanor. “I could tell these practitioners really take Falun Dafa to their hearts. Plus, there are similar events in Canada, New Zealand, and other places with participants from different ethnic groups. This shows Falun Dafa is really outstanding,” she said.
Her husband immigrated to the United States 7 or 8 years ago, and has seen Falun Dafa practitioners' events twice in the past. “Well done!” he said. “It’s about freedom of belief and human rights, something which fits American society very well.”
Peaceful Energy
Zheng videotaped the procession with her cell phone. “This is the third time I’ve seen a practitioners' parade. I enjoy all their parades,” she explained. “Practitioners all look very nice. I’m sharing the video through social media with my friends. Some of them are in New York and some are in mainland China. They all liked the post.”
A local resident said he could feel peaceful energy. “Although I’m not Asian, I believe we need to support each other for such a wonderful moment,” he said. “The words of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are powerful. They help us and benefit others.”
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