On Sunday (March 30), Shen Yun Performing Arts encountered a bomb threat during their final performance in Claremont, California. However, after police investigation and confirmation from the organizers, no bomb was found on-site, marking the latest malicious threat against Shen Yun.
According to the spokespersons from Claremont City Hall and the police department, after a comprehensive search conducted by the police department, campus security, and K9 units, “no abnormalities were found on-site”, and the Shen Yun performance proceeded as scheduled that afternoon.
It is not a coincidence that Shen Yun has faced dozens of similar bomb threats in recent months, all of which turned out to be false alarms. Dr. Li Youfu, the representative of the organizers in Los Angeles, pointed out that the mastermind behind these false bomb threats is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), aiming to intimidate theaters and audiences and disrupt Shen Yun performances.
Since Shen Yun began touring in 2006, the CCP has been causing disturbances. Dr. Li described the CCP as behaving like hooligans, utilizing tactics such as bomb threats in many countries and cities. However, the audience has become aware of the CCP’s schemes, which have not deterred them from enjoying Shen Yun performances.
During the incident at the theater, attendees showed remarkable calmness upon hearing about the bomb threat. They either waited calmly outside the cordoned-off area or gathered to discuss the CCP’s unsavory methods. Based on feedback from ticket sales and staff, not a single audience member left due to the threat.
Linda Ross, an attendee, commented, “It is a disgrace that such incidents occur, and I have heard about the CCP using similar tactics before. This kind of threat will not deter me from watching Shen Yun.”
With the all-clear signal, the afternoon Shen Yun performance in Claremont achieved a full house once again.
According to the information released during a press conference by Shen Yun Performing Arts, since its establishment in 2006, Shen Yun has developed eight equally sized performance groups and staged over 7,400 performances worldwide, attended by over 11 million viewers. The artists showcase pre-communist China with top-notch artistic standards, receiving praise from audiences worldwide. However, Shen Yun has continuously been a target of attacks by the CCP.
Especially starting last year, CCP threats and harassment against Shen Yun escalated to personal threats against performers, as well as bomb threats against theaters and audiences.
Theaters hosting Shen Yun performances in California (San Jose and Berkeley), Connecticut (Waterbury), Georgia (Atlanta), Texas (San Antonio and San Juan in Puerto Rico), and in countries like France, Italy, the UK, and Poland, all received similar bomb threats.
However, the audience remains unfazed by the CCP’s malicious bomb threat pranks. Before the Shen Yun performance in Claremont on Sunday afternoon, when audiences heard the host mention, “Shen Yun has once again encountered a bomb threat from the CCP, but Shen Yun will never back down,” thunderous applause erupted in the audience.
Attendee John Garcia said, “This kind of threat doesn’t affect me at all.”
Former police detective Joseph Bodner expressed, “Unfortunately, villains attempt to scare people with fear. But when people have common sense and uphold values of peace and equality, I believe that goodness will always prevail over evil.”
Attendee Bill Petro stated, “If the CCP’s bomb threat succeeded, we wouldn’t be able to see the performance. It’s truly unbelievable that people are still so malicious nowadays. The CCP is trying everything to stop Shen Yun from performing because Shen Yun presents the truth and facts.”
Many of the bomb threats received by theaters hosting Shen Yun performances were sent via email, some even from the same email address with similar threatening content: the sender claimed to have placed bombs throughout the theater and would detonate them if the Shen Yun performance proceeded.
However, as the truth is exposed, theaters and local law enforcement agencies understand that these are tactics employed by the CCP to prevent Shen Yun performances.
Dr. Li noted, “Many theaters have realized that the CCP is causing disruptions, and everyone now knows their tricks.”
During the police search at the theater where the bomb threat was received on Sunday, security personnel revealed they found a young Chinese man behaving suspiciously on-site. The person had a large camera hanging in front of his chest and was sneakily taking photos of the Shen Yun bus. Upon being discovered by security, he immediately fled. Security personnel have shared his photo with local authorities.
In the past few months, according to leaked documents from the Chinese Ministry of State Security, the CCP is launching a new campaign using social media and mainstream American media to attack Shen Yun.
Dr. Li stated, “These tactics only make people see more clearly what the CCP is doing. Their evil deeds have no impact on Shen Yun; in fact, it enhances people’s appreciation for Shen Yun. Despite this pressure, Shen Yun continues to bring the best to people.”
“We take these threats seriously every time. Police always bring K9 units for searches to reassure everyone. We cannot tolerate these actions, and we will thoroughly investigate through legal means. We will also enhance security, and theaters are beefing up security. The villains dare not face the truth, so we will expose them thoroughly.”
With the dedication of audiences and performers, Shen Yun continues to defy the CCP’s attempts to disrupt its performances and remains a beacon of truth and beauty for audiences worldwide.