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Toronto Shen Yun shows cancelled over 'non-credible' threats organizers blame on China Communist Party
Organizers of an artistic performance in Toronto allege that China’s communist government is behind a series of “non-credible” threats to the venue that forced the cancellation of a show on Sunday and led to all remaining shows being axed.
Falun Dafa Association of Toronto (FDAT), the show presenter, also castigated the Four Seasons Centre, home to the Canadian Opera House Corporation, for its caving to the apparent hoaxes.
“Cancelling the show under such circumstances sets a concerning precedent that foreign actors can disrupt Canadian business operation and society at will,” FDAT spokesperson Joel Chipkar stated in a news release issued Thursday, two days after they learned of the venue’s decision to call off five performances scheduled for April 1-5 over alleged “escalating threats.”
In an emailed statement to National Post, a spokesperson for the Canadian Opera Company, owners and operators of the nearly 2,100-seat downtown performance theatre, said the decision “was taken out of an abundance of caution following the receipt of an escalating series of threatening messages that were swiftly reported to Toronto Police Service.”
“The well-being of staff, crews, artists, and audiences remain our highest priority, and the difficult decision was made entirely in the interest of public safety,” they wrote.
Shen Yun is a New York-based performing arts company founded by adherents to Falun Dafa, a spiritual movement also known as Falun Gong. Practitioners of the faith — founded in the early 1990s and “rooted in kindness, compassion, and traditional values” — have faced more than 27 years of persecution from the Chinese Communist Party, Chipkar explained in a press conference later Thursday.
Shen Yun, through its performances, aims to highlight the abuse of human rights in China and showcase the nation’s long cultural history “before communism.” Chipark said many of the artists in the show and their families have fled persecution in China.
Just before the Sunday matinee was set to begin, FDAT said multiple individuals within Four Seasons Centre and the opera company received an emailed bomb threat, written in Swedish, but from a China-based Gmail account.
“Many explosive devices have been placed at the Four Seasons Theatre and Parliament Hill in Canada. If the Shen Yun performance is not cancelled and continues to be shown, explosions are planned at Parliament Hill and the Four Seasons Theatre,” it read, according to a police report supplied by FDAT.
The show was immediately called off, police arrived, swiftly deemed the threat “unfounded” and the theatre was permitted to re-open.
The following day, both sides agreed to let the remaining shows continue, with Four Seasons Centre footing the bill for increased security measures, but on Tuesday, the venue, in response to more threats over the previous 48 hours, said it was cancelling the rest of the run.
“However, those threats were never shared with the presenter and police confirmed to the presenter that no other threats have been reported,” FDAT said.
A spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service, however, told National Post they did receive reports of additional threats on March 30 that were also “determined to be unfounded.”
“If the threats are found baseless, as so far authorities have found them to be, then Canadians should be allowed to see Shen Yun and the theatre should support this,” Chipkar stated.
Shen Yun performances have faced a steady stream of threats — more than a dozen in the past two years in cities including Mississauga, Kitchener and Vancouver — all of which were assessed by law enforcement agencies as non-credible. In every previous case, performances continued following sweeps and added security, making Four Season Centre’s decision unprecedented. Globally, the company says more than 150 similar threats have been issued, with nothing ever materializing.
As for how the Chinese government is allegedly involved, Shen Yun and Falun Dala groups have long accused Beijing of trying to disrupt the show’s touring schedule.
Sunday’s email, they said, originated from China and appeared to jump between Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., two Chinese agents were convicted in 2022 for attempting to bribe an Internal Revenue Service official to fabricate an investigation into Shen Yun and the State Department has criticized intimidation against it.
Chipkar warned that the “cowardly attack on artistic expression and our freedom” this week is bigger than one single stage production.
“It raises serious concerns about allowing foreign Interference — or any threats — to dictate what Canadians can see and who can express themselves,” he said.
“This is a risk to all Canadians, not just Shen Yun.”
KDAT is urging the Canadian government to denounce the alleged CCP actions and calling on arts organizations to condemn intimidation efforts directed at performers and patrons.
It also wants the venue to reverse its decisions and let the shows be rescheduled.
In recent years, Canada’s intelligence agencies have warned that Beijing has attempted to influence federal elections, intimidate Members of Parliament and critics in Canada’s Chinese diaspora. Ottawa has tightened security rules and launched a public inquiry, but officials say foreign-interference activity from China remains persistent and sophisticated.
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