(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners were invited to participate in the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade, held in Silver Spring, Maryland, on November 16, 2024. The popular annual event drew tens of thousands of people, including members of Congress. An Olympic champion who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics also participated in the parade.

More than 150 groups participated in the parade this year. The practitioners’ entry included a float and a waist drum team. Two young practitioners demonstrated the Falun Dafa exercises on the float. People applauded and cheered as the waist drum team passed, and some clapped in time to the music. The banners with words: “Falun Dafa” and “The World Needs Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance” in both English and Chinese were greeted by people along the route.

Falun Dafa practitioners in the Greater Washington area were invited to participate in the Thanksgiving parade at Silver Spring, Maryland on November 16, 2024.

Parade Host: Falun Dafa Brings Serenity and Uplifts Spirits

When the practitioners’ entry passed the podium, the host said, “Next lets watch the serenity brought by Falun Dafa that uplifts spirits.”

The host introduced the practitioners, “Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) is a traditional cultivation method of body and mind from the east. It combines four sets of gentle standing exercises and meditation. Falun Dafa is based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and greatly benefits practitioners. People can improve their fitness, reduce stress and anxiety, become energetic, obtain inner peace and uplift their morals.”

“They Brought Warm Energy to This Cold Day”

Priya Walia (left), who works as a consultant in Washington D.C., and Lauren Gibson (right), who works in the healthcare industry in Maryland, watched the parade.

Priya Walia, who works as a consultant in Washington D.C., said after seeing the practitioners, “I feel happy. They bring warm energy to this cold day. They have big smiles and their costumes are really great, in yellow and pink. I really like the girl on the float.”

Lauren Gibson, who works in the healthcare industry in Maryland, said, “I feel the same way. Every one of them is calm. They emit serenity, righteous thoughts and peace. I feel they are connected. They all felt close and happy.”

After learning that practitioners persevere in practicing the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance despite 25 years of brutal persecution in China, Lauren said, “This is very inspiring. I’m truly happy that they are now here (America), happy and safe.”

Spectators Happy Seeing the Messages of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance

Devery and Macy, who live in Silver Spring, came to watch the parade together. “This is the best entry,” Devery said. “Very cool. I like it, it’s beautiful. The way they (waist drum team) dance, and the exercise demonstration, are really great,” Macy said.

Devery and Macy said that Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, the message that practitioners passed on, resonated with them.

Devery (right) and Macy (left) watch the parade together

Kirk and his family watched the parade, and Kirk said that Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are really great. “My heart absolutely resonates with it. I love this parade entry, very beautiful.”

Kirk, a Silver Spring resident, watched the parade with his son.

Maggie and her husband watched the parade, and Maggie said the practitioners’ parade entry deeply impressed her. “A man in yellow costume standing on the float doing exercises, the waist drum team, and the banners with words of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance written on, are very good. They look happy and enthusiastic.”

Maggie watched the parade with her husband.

Michael said, “Falun Dafa’s parade entry included a big float. It’s peaceful and wonderful. They bring Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to the community. This is good.”

Michael and his daughter watch the parade.

Tony Hinnant, a Silver Spring resident, said he enjoyed the rhythm and atmosphere brought by the practitioners’ parade entry. He gladly accepted a flier that a practitioner offered him, and said that he hopes to see the practitioners' entry and performance in next year’s Thanksgiving parade.

Tony Hinnant, a Silver Spring resident.

“They seem very spiritual, and know about Thanksgiving very well. I hope practitioners can come to the Silver Spring Recreation Center, where some senior people would enjoy their performance. This center serves young people, Asian people and all people in the community,” Tony said.

Chinese Immigrant: Practitioners’ Perseverance and Kindness Are Admirable

Mr. Xu, a Maryland resident who was born in China, saw Falun Dafa practitioners in the National Cherry Blossom Festival parade and Saint Patrick’s Day parade. He saw practitioners again at this year’s Thanksgiving parade.

Mr. Xu said that the practitioners’ perseverance and kindness were admirable. When he visited China, he saw banners with the words “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” hanging on the side of the highway, and information about Falun Dafa written on the walls of houses in the countryside.

“It’s not easy for Falun Dafa practitioners. They have been suppressed for a long time. They are able to persevere and hold on, which moves me quite a bit,” Mr. Xu said. “In fact when you are in contact with good people you can feel that. You can see from their eyes that something comes from their hearts. You can feel that they are good people.”

He has traveled to other western countries, including Germany, and noticed that Falun Dafa is practiced overseas. Only in China is Falun Dafa persecuted.

“Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is very good. It guides people to pursue good things,” he said. “So many people in western countries practice Falun Dafa. It’s been practiced outside China for 20 to 30 years and we haven’t heard of any problems.”

Mr. Xu recalled that before the Chinese Community Party (CCP) launched the persecution at the end of the 1990s, thousands of people practiced Falun Dafa at the college where he lived. His mother also practiced. Unfortunately one month after she began to practice, the CCP began the bloody arrests and suppression, and destroyed Falun Dafa books on a large scale.

“The persecution is more severe in Shandong Province and the northeast area, and the perpetrators are brutal. They often beat practitioners in order to force them to renounce Falun Dafa. If you refuse, they imprison you, torture you and pressure your family, threatening to take their jobs.”

Mr. Xu said that he knew the evil nature of the CCP regime that conducts forced organ harvesting from living practitioners. “To be honest, many years ago when practitioners’ media reported on organ harvesting from living practitioners, I was skeptical because this was so against humanity. In the past 5 or 10 years, more information became available, and I realized that the organ harvesting is real. The CCP regime is indeed so evil and you would never think such a thing could happen.”