Brooklyn Residents Learn about and Support Falun Gong
(Clearwisdom.net) On Friday, May 7, 2004, Falun Gong practitioners from the
Metropolitan New York area started celebrating the 12th anniversary
of Falun Dafa's introduction and the 5th World Falun Dafa Day.
Practitioners went to the plaza in front of the Brooklyn Borough Hall and
performed songs and dances. The song "Falun Dafa is good" resounded through the
plaza. Brooklyn is the largest of five boroughs in New York City. The area
around the plaza is also Brooklyn's political and economical center. The street
is packed with crowds all the time.
Celebration in front of the Brooklyn Borough Hall
On the early morning of May 7, a rainstorm was followed by bright sunshine
and a beautiful day. Falun Gong practitioners gathered in front of the borough
government hall to celebrate in advance the fifth World Falun Dafa Day.
Decorated with banners, balloons, lotus flowers, drum players, dragon dance,
celestial maidens and display boards, the plaza was beautiful, shining and
peaceful.
A blue banner with golden-colored words, "Falun Dafa is great" and a red
banner with yellow words, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" echoed each other
and were extremely eye-catching in the sunshine. A giant vertical banner with
English and Chinese words, "May 13, World Falun Dafa Day" displayed on the top
steps told people about this special occasion.
Falun Gong practitioners practiced the exercises with the melodious music.
Their "slow, gentle, and rounded" movements were stretching and elegant. One
after another, passersby stopped to watch, some used their cell phones to take
pictures.
In the opening remarks, Ms. Clearine Hunter expressed the practitioners'
highest respect towards the founder of Falun Gong, Mr. Li Hongzhi and thanked
him for introducing Dafa to the entire world. She explained the origin of May 13
-- the World Falun Dafa Day and its significance, the 12-year-journey of Dafa's
worldwide spread, and called upon people to help stop the brutal persecution of
Falun Gong practitioners in China.
Several western practitioners of different ages introduced their personal
experiences of practicing Dafa and the benefits they obtained through the
cultivation. Two Chinese practitioners recounted the plight of their parents,
who were arrested and sentenced to labor camps simply because of their practice
of Falun Dafa. Mr. Xiao Jin related the persecution encountered by his
66-year-old mother, who was abducted on March 13 this year and is currently
facing a 3-5 year sentence in prison.
A practitioner held in her hands photos of young children who lost their
parents or even their own lives in this persecution, and told of the suffering
the children encountered.
During the process, practitioners read the local government officials'
proclamations in honor of World Falun Dafa Day.
The lively and colorful performances pushed the celebration to a climax and
won rounds of applause. The drum team's performance was especially inspiring.
Accompanied by the song, "Falun Dafa is good", the powerful sounds of the drums
resounded in the plaza. A colorful dragon danced up and down around the plaza
and was a favorite of the children. The celestial maiden dancers gracefully
performed a long-ribbon dance, expressing the wish that heaven and earth will be
celebrating together.
  TV news reporting on the Taiwanese Drum Team |
A local TV
reporter interviews a western practitioner participating in the Dragon dance |
 A reporter learning the practice |
 People sign a petition in support of Charles Lee, an American imprisoned in
a Chinese jail for over one year on false charges. |
Proclamations from local government officials in honor of World Falun Dafa
Day
Local government officials at different levels in Brooklyn successively
issued proclamations or sent congratulatory letters from this celebration. Nine
proclamations were received on that day to honor World Falun Dafa Day.
Congressman Ed Towns, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, State
Senator Velmanette Montgomery, State Senator Carl Andrews, State Assemblymen
John Lavelle, Roger Green and Nick Perry, and New York City council members
Letitia James and Albert Vann are among those who sent proclamations or
congratulatory letters in honor of the fifth World Falun Dafa Day.
Support from the local people
During the celebration, people expressed their support and fondness. Our
truth-clarifying materials ran out after nearly 2500 English newsletters were
distributed. Many people stopped to watch practitioners demonstrating the Falun
Gong exercises, to listen to the practitioners' speeches, or to talk with
practitioners and asked for more information about Falun Dafa, the persecution
in China and exercise instruction class schedule. Some people learned the
exercises on the spot. Two spectators joined practitioners to do the meditation.
When an elderly gentleman mimicked the movements of the second set of exercises,
a practitioner handed him some introduction information. The gentleman was very
happy and kept saying, "Thank you!" He also played a flute to accompany the song
of "Falun Dafa is good." Two young Chinese people watched most of the
performance and accepted truth-clarifying materials.
People lined up to come to the "Petals of Peace" booth, and they asked for
the significance of making the paper lotus flowers and how to make them. The
practitioners by the booth were very busy in showing people how to fold the
flowers and answering questions. As soon as one group of people left, another
group came. When people learned that they could sign a petition to condemn the
persecution in China, many took the initiative to sign it.
Attention from media outlets
NBC TV spent quite some time to film the event, including the exercise
demonstration and the Petals of Peace program. The reporter also learned a few
movements before the camera and interviewed some practitioners who gave speeches
and participated in the dragon dance. They also interviewed the drum team. New
Tang Dynasty TV filmed the entire celebration.
A reporter from the weekly newspaper Bay News watched most of the
celebration. He also interviewed a Chinese practitioner whose mother was
recently abducted and detained for practicing Falun Gong. Reporters from World
Journal and Epoch Times also came to cover the event.
At 2pm, the celebration concluded with the song, "Falun Dafa is good". Falun
Gong practitioners from the metropolitan area will push the celebration to a
climax on May 13, the World Falun Dafa Day in downtown Manhattan, and they will
also hold celebrations in Flushing on May 16.
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