Falun Dafa practitioners were invited to the EID Multicultural Celebration at the Gold Coast’s Norm Rix Park on August 11, 2019.
The festival organised by the Islamic Multicultural Association of Gold Coast celebrates a multiculturism in Queensland through a day of sharing cultures, celebrations and conversations.
Practitioners set up a booth, demonstrated the Falun Dafa exercises and handed out fliers to passerbys.
Gold Coast City Councillor for Division 4 Kristyn Boulton stopped by the booth to greet practitioners. She received the latest copy of the Compassion Magazine and kept commenting how she cannot see any good reason for the Chinese regime to continue its 20-year-long persecution against peaceful Falun Dafa practitioners.
Ms Boulton wanted to help spread the word about the Falun Dafa practice, and posed for a photo with practitioners to help encourage more people to discover its many health and lifestyle benefits through the council-funded Active and Healthy Program, which Falun Dafa is a member of.
Queensland Member for Bonney Sam O’Connor MP also visited the booth and discussed at great lengths his concerns about the current human rights situation in China. He echoed a recent warning from Federal MP Andrew Hastie on how the Chinese regime’s rise could erode some of Australia’s “sovereignty and freedoms” in state and federal politics, business and universities, particularly those that signed agreements with the Beijing-backed Confucius Institute.
Mr O’Connor was very encouraged to hear US President Donald Trump recently met with a Falun Dafa practitioner in the Oval Office, and heard the practitioner discussed a recent international tribunal finding that the Chinese regime is still harvesting the organs of Falun Dafa practitioners, and other prisoners of conscience, in Mainland China.
Philomena who volunteered at the nearby Benevolent Society booth took a moment out of her busy morning to find out more about the Falun Dafa practice. She was very interested in Oriental spirituality since she regularly visits the Buddhist temple.
After hearing the Falun Dafa exercises are so tranquil, she decided to try them out at the local practice site. She was also very moved to hear about the lotus flower’s meaning in traditional Chinese culture, peace and purity. Several of her colleagues also came over and learnt more about Falun Dafa.
Practitioners thanked the event organisers for being so welcoming and accommodating.
