(Minghui.org) The major port city of Latvia – Ventspils – celebrated its 734th birthday during the first weekend of August. For three days, the city was filled with tourists from Latvia and other countries who enjoyed the festive events. This year, as in other years, visitors had the opportunity to learn about the wonderful practice of Falun Dafa.

On the morning of August 3, 2024, a festive parade was held. A beautiful banner with the words “Falun Dafa in Latvia” was carried in front of the Falun Dafa team. The parade organizers introduced the Falun Dafa group, saying: “Falun Dafa – a mind and body cultivation practice, has been here in Latvia and Ventspils for many years! Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, these are values that everyone needs!” 

Falun Dafa practitioners participated in the Ventspils festival parade on August 3, 2024.

As the practitioners’ contingent moved along the parade route, many people followed along with the Falun Dafa exercise movements, while others called out, “Greetings, Falun Dafa!”

People Support Falun Dafa

Practitioners gathered on the Grand Square at noon, where the popular Baltic design market was held. They set up an information booth and tent, demonstrated the Falun Dafa exercises, and talked to people about Falun Dafa and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of the practice. Children and their parents were invited to make origami lotus flowers.

Practitioners demonstrate the Falun Dafa exercises and talk to people about Falun Dafa. 

Young people learn the exercises. 

A woman, a girl and her friend stopped to talk to a practitioner. After reading a poster asking people to sign a petition to end the CCP’s forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience in China, they wanted to know more. The practitioner told them that Falun Dafa is a self-improvement practice that’s based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Pointing to practitioners who were doing the exercises, he said, “In Latvia, Falun Dafa practitioners can exercise publicly, and tell people about Dafa, but in China, the situation is completely different. In communist-run China, practitioners are arrested and placed in detention, where they are held as a living organ bank and killed on demand for their vital organs for the transplant industry. There is a great deal of evidence for this horrific practice. The European Parliament has already passed several resolutions condemning the CCP’s organ harvesting, the last one in 2024. In its resolutions, it calls attention to China’s ongoing abuses, condemns them, calls on governments to inform their citizens and prevent them from traveling to China for transplants.” 

After a longer conversation, the two women signed the petition and asked where the practitioners did the exercises in Riga. The practitioner told them that practitioners in Riga meet in Kronvalda Park every Saturday and Sunday, but in Ventspils they do the exercises at the children’s park, “Fantasy,” every Sunday morning.

During the event, the practitioner talked with a Chinese man who was surprised to see practitioners participating in public activities. He wanted to know more, because he said in China the CCP only tells the public negative things about Dafa, but when he travels abroad he sees a completely different picture. The practitioner told him about the Chinese government’s defamatory propaganda and offered Chinese-language informational materials about Falun Dafa. Also included was information about the Communist Party’s persecution of this peaceful practice, and the support that Falun Dafa receives around the world, both from the public and numerous governments. The man was very interested and gladly accepted the materials.

A young Ventspils resident, who now lives in Holland, said that Falun Dafa is what she’s been looking for and was very grateful when the practitioner gave her information about practice sites in Holland.

Two young members of the city orchestra asked a practitioner about Falun Dafa. The practitioner explained that practicing Falun Dafa focuses on raising one’s spiritual level and morality. One of them was very interested in the practice, saying that he felt it was time to start improving himself and he took the informational materials about Falun Dafa.

A woman stopped at the booth and said she wanted to sign the petition in support of Falun Dafa. When a practitioner offered her a flyer, she said she already knew about Dafa and understood everything. She just wanted to sign to help end the injustice in China.

The practitioner talked to a boy and girl from Kuldiga and Jelgava. After learning that the Chinese Communist Party persecutes those who practice Falun Dafa, the boy said the people of Latvia also experienced similar repression during the Soviet times. They were both interested in Falun Dafa and asked where they could attend classes.

A group of young men gladly took the leaflets and listened to a practitioner explain how practicing Falun Dafa can positively impact one’s physical and mental health. The young men noted that they (the young men) lacked patience. The practitioner told them that practicing Falun Dafa helps keep the body in good shape and that many people find meditating to be calming and relaxing.

An elderly gentleman who took a flyer and listened to a practitioner’s account of the CCP’s persecution and live organ harvesting in China was skeptical at first. He said he couldn’t believe it. After the practitioner explained the truth about the organ harvesting to him, and cited the evidence, he said he understood. The practitioner told him that this practice benefits everyone. The gentleman was moved, and repeatedly thanked the practitioner. He said he would read the materials and learn more about Falun Dafa.

During the event, many people were interested in learning the exercises and asked about practice sites in different cities. They thanked practitioners for their selfless work in telling the public about such a wonderful practice.