Russia: Falun Gong Practitioners Help Celebrate Olympic Day in Crimea

Russia held its 25th Olympic Day in Crimea on June 28, 2014, celebrating the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi and the 120th anniversary of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Falun Gong practitioners were invited to attend and demonstrate the exercises.

“We Are Glad You Are Here Again This Year”
The chairman of the Crimean Peninsula Olympic Committee welcomed the practitioners and said he had seen them during National Sports Festival last September (Ukraine: Demonstrating the Beauty of Falun Dafa at the National Sports Festival). He said, “I really loved your performance. We are glad you are here again this year.”

Practitioners demonstrating the exercises on June 28, 2014, Olympic Day in Crimea	Children learn to make paper lotus flowers, while their parents read about Falun Gong

Practitioners gave Falun Gong books and paper lotus flowers—which represent peace and purity—to Crimean sports officials, parliament members, and city officials from Simferopol, the capital of Crimea. They thanked the practitioners by giving them three copies of Kiev 1913, 100 Years of the First Russian Olympiad signed by the Olympic Committee members.

The officials also invited practitioners to participate again next year.

Event Participants Sign Petition to End the Persecution
After one basketball coach heard about the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China, he was very upset: “How can such an excellent meditation system be suppressed? It is very disturbing.” He then invited practitioners to teach his team players how to do the exercises.

Many students participated in the race that day. When they saw practitioners folding paper lotus flowers, they became interested and stopped to learn how. Their parents came with them and read brochures. When they heard about how practitioners are severely mistreated in China, including having their organs harvested when they are still alive, they were indignant and readily signed the petition to end the brutality.

As one elderly lady was walking in the park, she saw the crowds and asked the lady next to her, “What are we celebrating today?”

The other lady, who was also unaware of the Olympic Day festivities, saw the words on the Falun Dafa banners and replied, “Oh, I guess they are celebrating Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”