(Minghui.org) The annual Chinese New Year parade and celebrations were held in Flushing, Queens on February 4. The Global Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was among the 100 or so groups that participated in the parade.

The Global Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party is staffed mostly by practitioners of Falun Gong. Falun Gong is a spiritual practice whose adherents have been persecuted in China for their beliefs since 1999. They want to remind Chinese people everywhere that by quitting the Party, they may well bring themselves brighter futures.

The service center brought up the rear of the parade, being the last of the many processions. Energetic lion dancers led the service center procession, followed by an exquisite float and a colorful and lively performance by a group of waist drummers.

Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party in Chinese New Year parade in Queens, New York.

As of February 4, more than 263 million people from all walks of life have renounced their memberships in the Party, the Young Pioneers and the Communist Youth League. The movement to quit the CCP may well be the largest grass-roots movement in history. The movement was brought to life by the “Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party,” an Epoch Times newspaper editorial series published in November 2004.

Six decades after the Chinese Communist Party violently seized power, it presides over a nation of 1.3 billion who are burdened with political oppression, entrenched corruption, and a deteriorating natural environment.

The movement gives the Chinese people the opportunity to separate themselves psychically and morally from the communist regime and express their intention that it should end.

Many spectators supported the message from the service center. One stated that he believes a person needs to answer to his conscience.

Yi Rong, the president of the service center in Flushing, said that in the year of the rooster, the center would like to wake up the Chinese people and help them to make good choices for their futures.