(Minghui.org) Practitioners from Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Odesa held activities and celebrated World Falun Dafa Day. Towards the end of the activity, they gathered to take a group picture, express their gratitude to the founder of the practice, Master Li, and also wished him a Happy 70th Birthday on May 13, 2021. 

Ukraine Falun Dafa practitioners taking a group picture

Practitioners from Kharkiv gathered at the city’s center and clarified the truth about Falun Dafa. Many people stopped to watch practitioners doing the Falun Dafa exercises. 

Practitioners from Kharkiv demonstrate the Falun Dafa exercises. 

Practitioners from Odesa demonstrate the Falun Dafa exercises. 

When Ali Aliev, the chairman of The World Confederation of Persian-Arabic-Turkic and Caucasian Peoples, saw Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance on the banner, he said: “These are very good principles and regardless of any religion, one should abide by these principles.” He asked practitioners to take photos of him standing next to the banner.

Ali, who once lived under the former Soviet Union, said: “The idea of communism is frightening because it destroys people’s beliefs in God.”

Ali Aliev signing the petition to stop the persecution of Falun Dafa in China.

Kharkiv is the second-largest city in Ukraine, with over two million people. Each year, students from other countries come to Ukraine to study, many of them from Morocco. Morocco is a Muslim country and young people have heard about the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Uyghur Muslims. When Falun Dafa practitioners told them that the CCP is still persecuting beliefs, including about the suppression of Falun Gong, Moroccan students condemned the CCP and signed the petition to support practitioners and to stop the persecution. 

A young man named Artem stood by the practitioners for a very long time. He said, “Sometimes people need to stop and think about what they are doing, or consider whether they are overlooking anything important.” Artem said that he liked practitioners, because not only do they reflect on themselves, but also think of others' needs before their own needs. 

Dnipro is the industrial center of Ukraine and is often called “The City of Aerospace Science and Technology.” Practitioners from Dnipro gathered at Independence Square to demonstrate the exercises, distribute fliers and talk with passersby. 

Practitioners from Dnipro demonstrate the Falun Dafa exercises. 

A woman who has been learning Taiji for many years took a truth-clarification flier and expressed her interest in Falun Dafa. 

When four young people learned about the persecution and forced live organ harvesting from imprisoned Falun Dafa practitioners in China, they were shocked. They said, “How can something like this happen in the 21^st century?”

As locals passed by and saw banners that said “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” many said, “This is what we need.” When the practitioners began the sitting meditation, the atmosphere was so calm that it stopped many in their tracts.

A young couple requested to see a picture of Master Li. They were amazed at how many people, regardless of ethnicity, practice Falun Gong all over the world. While learning about “World Falun Dafa Day” many passersby congratulated practitioners.