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Dallas, Texas: Falun Gong Practitioners Participate in Plano Fourth of July Parade (Photos)

July 6, 2004 |   By practitioners from Dallas, Texas

(Clearwisdom.net) It is very hot in July in Texas. Residents of Plano, a city north of Dallas still enthusiastically gathered on both sides of the Independence Avenue to watch the annual Plano Fourth of July Parade. It is reported that this year marked the 25th anniversary of Plano's Independence Day Parade. Dallas Falun Gong practitioners also participated, and their procession featured an exercise demonstration team dressed in golden-colored exercise suits and a fairy dance performance which was very eye-catching.

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Falun Gong practitioners' procession

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Fairy dance performed by practitioners

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People accepting Falun Gong introductory flyers

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Volunteer sending cups of water to young practitioners

Plano is a community in Texas whose population has rapidly increased over the 40 years. It is also a multicultural community where most Chinese people in the Dallas area reside. Local practitioners have held monthly workshops in Plano to introduce Falun Dafa for several years. The Mayor of Plano has also issued several proclamations to honor Falun Dafa.

Prior to the parade, practitioners prepared a large quantity of truth-clarifying materials, including Falun Dafa Reader, flyers containing local contacts, and flyers about the South Africa incident of hired gunmen shooting at Falun Gong practitioners.

The parade set off from Plano High School, proceeded along the Independence Avenue and concluded at the Elizabeth Church. The more than 2 mile parade lasted about 2 hours. Although it was quite hot, practitioners looked energetic. Three practitioners holding a banner with the words, "Falun Dafa, Truth-Compassion-Tolerance" in English led the procession. At the end of the procession, three other practitioners held a banner with Chinese words, "Falun Dafa". Several practitioners dressed in yellow exercise suits continuously demonstrated the exercises, while six ladies gracefully performed the long ribbon dance to the music "Falun Dafa is good". Spectators warmly applauded them. Several young practitioners, including a four-year-old girl from Minghui school, distributed flyers and newsletters to spectators. They joyfully walked through the entire route which was more than 2 miles long. The more than 2000 flyers were all distributed.

Among the spectators, there were many Chinese people. They looked very happy upon seeing the practitioners' procession. Some of them joyfully shouted, "Falun Gong!" An elderly gentleman said to practitioners, "You are remarkable!" A young Chinese man said, "I support you!" Upon learning the news that practitioners would join this parade, a lady who recently learned about the facts of Falun Gong especially came with her husband to watch.