Forming a bright sea of yellow, hundreds of Torontonians converged on Nathan Phillips Square on Sunday dressed in matching shirts, holding colourful banners, and performing the meditative exercises that are part of the traditional Chinese spiritual practice known as Falun Dafa.
The gathering on May 11—which included VIP speeches and a parade through downtown Toronto—marked the 33rd year since Falun Dafa was introduced to the public in China by its founder, Li Hongzhi, in 1992. Similar World Falun Dafa Day festivities take place on or around Li’s birthday, May 13, in many cities worldwide every year.
As in past years, this occasion in Toronto featured a marching band, a lion dance, choral singers, and dancers in graceful costumes performing Chinese dance. It was organized by the local community of Falun Dafa practitioners in Toronto—among them those who had fled communist China due to an ongoing religious persecution against the group…