Passersby sat down to listen to the Tian Guo Marching Band play at City Hall Plaza in Parramatta at the start of a rally for Falun Gong on July 29, 2017
Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa) practitioners shared their personal experiences and demonstrated and taught the exercise to those who were interested.
John Deller, spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Association of Australia, talked about what Falun Gong is and why it is being persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Falun Dafa was introduced to the public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi, its founder. Within 7 years, nearly 100 million Chinese were practicing the exercises, more than the number of people who belonged to the CCP. Jiang Zemin, the leader of the Party at the time, ordered the persecution of Falun Dafa out of jealousy.
Although it is officially suppressed, Falun Dafa is still widely practiced in China. And since 1992, the practice has been embraced and honored in more than 100 countries worldwide.
James Shaw, an attorney and a candidate and former councilman of Parramatta City, said at the rally that he often saw Falun Gong practitioners meditating near City Hall Plaza and participating in community events.
“I appreciate your contributions to the community,” he said, “and I firmly believe that everyone in the world has the right to basic human rights, no matter who you are or what your belief.”
(Clearwisdom)