In Southern California’s Freedom Sculpture Park, known as a “anti-communist base,” four guard dogs have been killed within less than two months, with various clues indicating a connection to the Chinese Communist Party’s influence. Activists believe that the consecutive killings of multiple guard dogs demonstrate the CCP’s disregard for life, its destruction of American democratic freedoms, and its increasingly aggressive and unrestrained transnational suppression efforts.
On the 24th of this month, “Grey,” a beloved and gentle guard dog at the Freedom Sculpture Park, was found lying near the park’s main gate less than 10 meters away. When volunteers searching for him found Grey, he appeared to have been beaten, with blood around his mouth and no longer breathing.
“Grey was very obedient, well-trained, and extremely friendly towards people, never showing aggression,” said the park’s founder and sculptor Chen Weiming as he recalled the impression Grey left on him during an interview last Saturday. Due to the park’s many visitors and volunteers coming and going, Grey couldn’t discern whether those entering the park had hostile intentions, hence letting his guard down and potentially falling victim to foul play.
On the day Grey died, Chen Weiming inspected the park and found the plaques explaining the sculptures knocked down, with the nearby “Jianqiang Pavilion” sign sprayed with a substance that erased the writing, leaving the words blurred and unclear.
Since its establishment, the Freedom Sculpture Park has erected over a dozen sculptures, touching on sensitive topics related to the CCP, from sculptures depicting the CCP virus to monuments commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre and the Iron Chain woman. Activists from around the world visit the park annually for gatherings and memorials, transforming it into a hotspot for anti-communist activities. Consequently, the CCP views this park as a thorn in its side and has repeatedly sought to damage it.
According to Chen Weiming, Grey is the fourth guard dog killed within less than two months. Before Grey, another German Shepherd guard dog was poisoned. On the eve of last year’s June 4th event, the mother and son guard dogs that Chen Weiming had raised for many years were also poisoned. Before the end of 2023, another German Shepherd was poisoned and despite medical treatment, couldn’t be saved.
“The timing is very suspicious, right before the June 4th event,” Chen Weiming said. Both deaths couldn’t have been due to consuming contaminated food or snake bites. While there are snakes in the local desert, they are rare, and it’s unlikely for them to coincidence biting two dogs in succession, leading him to suspect poisoning.
On the eve of last year’s June 4th memorial event, the park was also invaded and vandalized: the cannon of the Tank Man sculpture was smashed. The vandalism was clearly targeted at the previous year’s June 4th event.
Grey’s death occurred after a new anti-communist symbol was erected in the park.
In August last year, two vehicles in the park were set on fire; recently, Chen Weiming inscribed “End CCP” and “Destroy Communism” in Chinese and English on a water tower 6 to 7 meters high near the burnt car site. The inscriptions are easily visible to passing vehicles on the north side of Route 15. Chen Weiming had just posted about it online when two days later, intruders broke into the park and Grey died on the same day.
Following the report to the police, law enforcement visited the scene and investigations are still ongoing.
Chen Weiming’s analysis suggests that the series of poisoning incidents are undoubtedly linked to the CCP. He remembers hearing a dog barking in his dream on the night Grey died. Though not unusual due to Grey’s habit of alerting to passersby or animals in the road late at night. He recalls it might have been a sign of trouble.
In recent years, the Freedom Sculpture Park has become an overseas anti-communist base, attracting numerous activists from across the United States, Europe, Australia, and Taiwan each year. Chen Weiming stated, “By continuing our efforts, we are dealing a significant blow to the CCP.”
The park’s influence continues to grow, with the involvement of many activists and residents from Los Angeles. Chen Weiming believes that the CCP’s killing of guard dogs is an attempt to intimidate and threaten him and the park’s volunteers.
“If we become fearful, the sculptures may never be completed or could lose their impact; some volunteers might choose not to come anymore,” he said. “The CCP intends to dampen people’s enthusiasm for building the park through these actions.”
Huang Chunyuan, an immigrant from China, frequently helps at the park and last saw Grey on July 15.
“I was shocked to hear this news. The CCP is simply despicable, being so cruel even to innocent animals!” She vividly remembered Grey’s harmless and docile nature: “He would lie there gently, never barking at strangers.”
On June 2nd this year, upon hearing about the poisoning deaths of “Hua Hua” and her puppies, Huang Chunyuan was deeply saddened. “Dogs are very loyal to humans, guarding this land alongside us.” She believes the series of events were carried out by skilled operatives of the CCP, as surveillance equipment within the park was also concurrently damaged.
“We need to raise awareness of the shameless acts by the CCP. This cross-border repression is not just about intimidation and suppression of people; it also poses a threat to the lives of these small animals,” Huang Chunyuan stated.
Chen Weiming affirmed that he and the volunteers won’t be intimidated, saying, “We will press forward on the path of anti-communism and fighting for freedom.” ◇