Shen Yun Presenters Hold Press Conference on Four Seasons Centre’s Cancellation of Toronto Performances

Anybody care if I sit or stand or what? I'm talking to the camera to media. Standing is better? Sure. Okay, let's begin. My name is Joel Chakar. I'm the spokesperson for the Falun Doc Association of Toronto and presenter here in Toronto. A bomb threat on Sunday forced the cancellation of a Shenzhen performance at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts citing additional threats. The venue has now cancelled all remaining performances scheduled for April 1st to 5th, impacting thousands of audience members and, of course, the arts community. These threats are a cowardly attack on artistic expression and our freedoms. While the safety of patrons, artists, and theatre staff is paramount to us, we commend the Toronto Police for their swift response in confirming that there was no accredited threat. We believe these threats are part of a broader campaign by the Chinese Communist Party to silence Shenzhen, a performance that showcases China before communism and highlights ongoing human rights abuses in China today. Over the past two years, more than a dozen threats targeting Shenzhen across Canada, including Mississauga Kitchener in Vancouver, have been investigated and deemed non-credible, with performances proceeding safely. Globally, more than over 150 similar threats have targeted Shenzhen, with reports indicating some originated from China as part of this coordinated disruption effort. Sunday's threat was traced to a Chinese Gmail account that moved between Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan. Last year, Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau traced similar threats to a facility in Xi'an, China. A year earlier, two Chinese agents in the United States were sentenced to prison for attempting to bribe an Internal Revenue Service agent to open an investigation into Shenzhen. The U.S. State Department has also condemned ongoing intimidation targeting the company. Shenzhen's mission is to revive traditional Chinese spiritual culture suppressed under communism, and to raise awareness of human rights abuses, including the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, a faith rooted in kindness, compassion, and traditional values. For 27 years, the Chinese Communist Party has persecuted this community, and Shenzhen is among several initiatives aimed at peacefully raising awareness. This incident goes beyond one reduction. It raises serious concerns about allowing foreign interference or any threats to dictate what Canadians can see and who can express themselves. This is a risk to all Canadians, not just Shenzhen. We condemn the Chinese Communist Party for their continued attack on our Canadian sovereignty and intimidation of Canadians, the arts, and our institutions. We call on the Canadian government to publicly denounce these actions by the Communist Party, and we appeal to artists, performers, and artistic organizations to join us in condemning in the strongest way possible any effort to threaten or intimidate artists or patrons of the arts here in Canada. We're all affected, and we cannot allow such threats to determine our cultural landscape. If the threats are found baseless, and so far authorities have found them to be, then Canadians should be allowed to see Shenzhen, and the theatre should support this. This is an issue of artistic freedom, again, freedom from intimidation and Canadian sovereignty. We remain committed to ensuring Toronto audiences can experience Shenzhen, and we will defend your right to see it, and we refuse to be silenced. I have with me today some Shenzhen performers who want to share something as well. I want to introduce Nancy Zhang, the emcee, to start. Hello everyone, my name is Nancy Zhang. I am a Master of Ceremony with Shenzhen Performing Arts. Before we begin, I want to mention that as a Shenzhen performer, I've really appreciated our relationship with Four Seasons Centre. We've performed here for 10 years, and it is such a beautiful venue, with very kind staff who have been so helpful all these years. It's unfortunate that they were put in this situation, and in a way are a victim of the CCP as well. My family has experienced first-hand the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. It changed my childhood and my family forever. When I was 8 years old, my mother was imprisoned for 3 years, simply because of her faith. During that time, my father was also detained and sent to a brainwashing centre. These events left deep scars on my childhood. I will never forget the day my mother was taken away. After school, I watched as my classmates were picked up by their parents, one by one. I waited for a long time, but no one came home. As it began to get dark, my aunt finally arrived to take me home. With my both parents gone, I had to live with her for a month. Persecution devastated my family. My grandfather's health declined rapidly from the stress. And my grandmother spent her days pulling from one government office to another, trying to find out what had happened to her daughter. When my grandmother passed away, my grandfather passed away. My mom was still imprisoned and was not allowed to stay with her. Years later, the harassment continued. Police followed me mostly to find our home. One day, more than a dozen officers forced their way into our house and took my mom away. For a child, this kind of fear becomes normal, but it should never be normal. Eventually, my family realized that we could not live safely in China. We fled, and for the first time in my life, I experienced freedom. I was finally able to speak openly about what was happening and to be a voice for those who still cannot speak. Today, I am proud to perform with Shen Yun and share the beauty of traditional Chinese culture with audiences and the world. But I also feel responsibility to tell people the truth about the persecution that is still happening in China today. My story is not unique. There are countless children in China who were grown up the way I did, separated from their parents simply because of their beliefs. Today, we are here in Toronto, in a free and democratic society. That is why it is deeply concerning to see attempts by the Chinese Communist Party to pressure theaters and interfere with Shen Yun performances here. This is not just about Shen Yun. This is about whether a foreign mafia regime can influence what Canadians are allowed to see, what stories can be told, and which voices can be heard. Artistic freedom is part of freedom itself. When intimidation crosses borders, silence should not. Thank you. I'd like to now introduce a dancer, Jared Ren. Good evening, everyone. My name is Jared, and I'm a dancer with Shen Yun Performing Arts. Before I begin, I just want to say that this is not about Four Seasons. This is about transnational repression of Falun Gong and Shen Yun on Canadian soil. Four Seasons is also a victim. All of us here at Shen Yun Performing Arts are deeply saddened by the cancellation of the remaining shows in Toronto. Recent events represent a success for the CCP and a blatant failure for the fundamental freedoms and expression in Belize and Canada. Over the past two years, Shen Yun has faced an unprecedented wave of coordinated attacks, ranging from media misinformation, legal warfare, to repeated bomb threats, all of which have proven to be hoaxes. This bomb threat received by the Four Seasons Center, which directly led to the cancellation of our shows, follows the exact same pattern. We must never forget that the persecution, abuse, imprisonment, killing, and even organ harvesting of law-abiding citizens for their beliefs are still happening today. Freedom of belief is guaranteed under Article 36 of the Chinese Constitution, yet practitioners of Falun Gong, underground Christians, Uyghurs, and others continue to face severe persecution. For many of us here at Shen Yun, this issue is deeply, deeply personal. I was born into a family of Falun Gong practitioners. My father began practicing Falun Gong in 1998 in the United States. Like many Chinese people at that time, he was interested in Qigong practices. After beginning Falun Gong, numerous health issues he had suffered from for many years, chronic insomnia, digestive issues, and complications from a past back injury all disappeared. My mother soon began practicing as well, after witnessing not only his physical recovery, but also a profound improvement in his temperament and character. When the persecution of Falun Gong began in China, my parents were shocked and confused. They could not understand why such a peaceful and apolitical practice was being targeted by their own government. In May of 2000, my mother returned to China from Tiananmen Square to peacefully raise awareness, an act that should have been prevented under Article 35 of the Chinese Constitution. She was arrested and detained for three weeks without any due process whatsoever. During that time, she was held in a small, overcrowded cell with no privacy and no access to basic hygiene. Even after returning to the United States, the persecution of our family did not stop. Because of my mother's arrest, my grandparents' phones are monitored. The first time they tried to speak freely, immediately police showed up at their home shortly afterwards. They avoided arrest only because my grandfather stated that he personally did not practice Falun Gong. On my father's side, my grandparents are visited by local officials many times per year. Who pressure them to persuade their son to return to China. They assure him it is safe, but only if he abandons his beliefs. My family understands that such safety comes at the cost of conscience. This form of transnational repression has extended beyond China's borders. When my father was still a PhD student at the University of Missouri, a friend of his, who was the leader of the local Chinese Students Association of that college, warned him that the Chinese consulate in Chicago had instructed individuals to collect information on Falun Gong practitioners in American soil. He called my father privately to warn him. During one visit to my grandparents, local officials even mentioned that they knew my sister, an American citizen, was performing with Xinyu. Despite her American citizenship, she was being monitored because of her association with Falun Gong and Xinyu. My family's story is just one among countless others. These injustices are not historical. They are going on up to this very day. At Xinyu, we have our own belief system, but we do not force them onto anyone. We do not compel anyone to attend our performances. Choosing to watch Xinyu is a matter of individual choice and free will. Our message is conveyed through peaceful artistic expression. We want to give a voice to those who are still voiceless today. On the other hand, the Chinese Communist Party uses threats and coercion to prevent people from seeing our performances. If such pressure is allowed to succeed, it will only embolden further interference. If they can do this to Xinyu, they can do this to all facets of Canadian life. We hope that the Canadian government, the Canadian people, and all those who value freedom and liberal democracy will recognize what is happening. What we are witnessing is absolutely unacceptable. Yielding to such pressure only encourages more of it. We must not allow threats and intimidation to dictate how we live our lives, whether in Canada or anywhere else in the world. If this can happen here, what comes next? Thank you very much. This is Jason Shen. He is a musician. Can you hear me? Yes, I can hear you. My name is Shen Jie. On June 14, 2002, I was illegally arrested by the Shanghai State Security Bureau because I refused to renounce my faith in the Falun Dafa. I was subsequently imprisoned in Shanghai's Jilanqiao prison for five years. In 2016, I was once again arrested by the police who broke into my home. Under no legal conditions, I was arrested and detained for a month. The reason was that I still insisted on my faith in the Falun Dafa. In this desperate situation, I had no choice but to leave my hometown and my family and come to America alone. At the time, my child was only two years old. A normal family would not have been able to reunite me and my child until now. In 2017, I joined the Falun Dafa Cultivation Group, which was founded by Falun Dafa practitioners. I have been performing all over the world every year. However, I never could have imagined that just a few days ago, while we were performing in Canada, the theater hosting our show would receive a bomb threat and therefore cancel our performance. I was shocked to discover that the Chinese Communist Party regime, which persecutes its own citizens and suppresses public freedoms within China, could act with such brazen arrogance and impunity even here on Canadian soil. This reality brought me to a sudden realization. This is by no means merely an act of persecution and intimidation directly, solely at Shenzhen Performing Arts. Fundamentally, it constitutes a direct threat and a blatant provocation against Canada, a sovereign, independent, free, and democratic nation, and against its people. I sincerely hope that all people of conscience and a sense of justice will recognize the gravity of such incidents, particularly the severity of the use of bomb threats targeting Shen Yun, and will join hands to collectively resist these acts of terrorism. And oppose this brutal suppression of fundamental freedoms. Only in this way can we truly safeguard the freedom, faith, and security of each and every one of us. Thank you, everyone. When I was born in China, after the Persecution Regime, my mother was arrested and sentenced to 7 years, 20,000 dollars. My uncles detained us for 10 years. At that time, I was only 6 years old. For 7 years, I could not see my mother look at her eyes. When she was finally released, I remembered hearing her tears. I knew she was my mother, but she felt like someone I barely knew. That is the kind of loss that persecution is. In 2009, my family and I were finally able to leave China, For the first time, I was able to grow up without constantly worrying about things that were happening. Years later, after I got my master's degree in music performance, I auditioned for Shen Yun and was fortunate to perform there. For me, Shen Yun is more than a place to perform. It is where I found audience to share stories of freedom. Through our art, we hope to share the beauty of traditional Chinese culture, but also the strength of people who have endured persecution and still trust it. When I learned that our performances were being cancelled, I felt something I had never felt in many years. The feeling that someone was trying to silence us again. I never imagined that the same political pressure my family experienced in China could reach all the way to a free society like China. I came here believing that art and expression could exist without fear. I still believe that these values matter. And that no government should be able to reach across borders to decide what artists can perform, or what audiences are allowed to see. I hope my story helps people see that this is not just about Shen Yun. It is about whether intimidation should ever be allowed to silence artists in a free society. Thank you. So that's it. Anybody have any questions? I just have a question. When we were still trying to work with persecutionists, we were not successful. Yeah, we would like that to happen. We're trying our hardest. It doesn't seem successful, but we're trying to communicate with them. We continue to communicate with them. Thank you. Everybody's in shock. Everybody's working as hard as they can to keep the patrons happy and up to date, informed. But this is unprecedented. We've never experienced this before. We're trying our best. April from MTV TV. My question is, the incident appears to have gone beyond mischief, and may constitute foreign interference. And there's similar emails in Chinese, also targeted. Parliament Hill and Prime Minister Carney. It's from your press release. So what actions would you like the Canadian government to take to address this kind of disruption to Canadian businesses and social life? The wish of the Chinese Communist Party is that all of their issues remain behind closed doors. Don't talk about them in public. So we really implore our Canadian government to publicly denounce these acts, these cowardly acts of terrorism. We're targeting not only Shen Yun, but Canadians. There were 10,000 people in that building. Sorry, there was 2,000 people in that building. It was 10,000 patrons over the desk this week that were supposed to enjoy Shen Yun. Those people have been disappointed because of this cowardly act. And not only that, but like I said, this is a complete assault to our safety, our sovereignty, and also to the artistic community. What if tomorrow another show comes to town, or somebody puts on a performance and someone doesn't like it? All you have to do is call up the theatre and say, hey, there's a bomb in the lobby, and then that performance is cancelled. We have to stand up and really protect the foundation of what freedom stands for, the freedom of belief, the freedom of expression, the freedom of the arts. So we're wanting the Canadian government to loudly and publicly condemn these acts, not just be silent. What do you hope to see from the theatre, or see this now? Listen, I think I speak on behalf of everybody. We'd love to start doing our show there on Friday. We'd love that. Again, we've been there for 10 years. This is unprecedented around the world. Again, we're victims. We're all victims of this act. And we would like to work together going forward. Is there a question? Yes. I have been watching Shen Yun from the very beginning, from the first one. I was fortunate that I watched Shen Yun this year, but the second day it was cancelled. I wasn't surprised for the attack from the Chinese regime, because it has been trying their hard to do the dirty jobs for many years to Shen Yun. But I'm so surprised that Four Seasons Theatre, they cancelled their performance. I believe that your team is trying hard to talk to them and contact them. What is the response from the theatre? And why did they decide to cancel all of the performances? Just because they received threatening, because everybody knows that the Chinese government is sending out this kind of threatening easily. And I myself, I received several, and I received pre-booked tickets from Donald Trump, from Lai Qingde, from many politicians, but of course fake. And following the ticket was the information about the bomb threatening. And it's easy for them to understand that this is just a threatening. They can have police officers on site to search and to have more surveillance. But why? Why did they cancel all of the performances? Like I stated in the statement, the police did conclude that the threats were unfounded. We would like answers to those questions as well. That's really all I can say right now. I have a question for the Chinese performers, Chinese artists. So, this kind of cancellation is unprecedented. It's the first one in the whole world. In all these years, Chinese performing arts got 150 bomb threats. This is the first one. The theatre just cancelled six shows. So what information would you like the Chinese artists to send to the audience members who are so disappointed? They look forward to this show for years, for months. So, what message do you want to convey to the audience members? Our message to the audience who had their shows cancelled. First of all, we're very, very sorry. For some people, it's not very easy to get a ticket. It's not easy to fill out their step goal to be able to come to Toronto. Some people booked hotels. Some people flew over. For a lot of people, this is a very big thing. It's only once in a lifetime. They can only see this one time. They had their chance taken away from them, robbed from them by the Chinese mafia regime. We hope the shows can keep going. We don't give up hope until it's over. Our message to the audience is that the audience bought our ticket. They supported us. So it is our obligation to do everything that we can for them. Through this entire fiasco, this mafia regime using gangster tactics to force this freedom expression, this show to cancel on our land and freedom, it motivates us even more. Because we see that we, Xinyi, is what the CCP fears the most. If we were not having an impact bringing the truth, bringing the atrocities, showing people what communism is, then they wouldn't spend so much time, money, and investment to try to stop us. To recap, first of all, we are very sorry that the audience missed this performance. We are motivated by this to keep striving harder and harder for the audience. This is what all of this is for. Just to show the people of Guilin, the people of China, 5,000 years of the most majestic, the grandest, the most beautiful culture on the face of this planet to the audience. And we will strive in our craft, in our production, in every facet of our production to make it better for the audience. That is our message. Thank you. Thanks, everybody. We'll wrap it up. Can I add a note? You want to add a note? You know, this beautiful lady, her name is Shengxue. You know what? The bombshell to the Four Seasons Art that happened on Sunday, and also two weeks ago to the leading art center in Missauga, was sent in her name, impersonating. You know, like, so it's... Last year, too. You know, like, so many e-mails sent in her name to the theater and to threaten the bomb threat. And she's the Shenxue lover. And they used my e-mail, sent out a lot of bomb threat notes, and not only to Shenxue, but to the presidency, residency in Taiwan, and to airports. And I just received two police officers to visit me at my home two days ago because the bomb threatened me, sent to the U.S. Congress. And so the U.S. government, they asked two Canadian police officers to come to my home, to the U.S. Congress. And especially for Shenxue, I received a lot of threatening. And as I mentioned, I received many, I think probably 40 pre-booked tickets from Donald Trump, from Lai Qingde, from Gao Shizaomiao, and they attached the bomb threatening at the bottom of the ticket. And they wanted to stop me, come to watch Shenxue. I was very fortunate. I had the chance to watch the Shenxue on... 28th. 28th, yeah. So 29th was canceled. So I just want to ask you, this is the first time that Shenxue has been closed. Closed. Yeah. And so what do you require our Chinese government to do in this kind of situation? This is not a single case. This is not a single situation. This is, as you said, it's a religion. Everybody... So I understand we are both victims, but will there be any legal accountability for the decision that we have made? Because we can't just let it go. Yeah, we haven't got legal issues yet with anyone. So we're not calling, but thank you everybody. Thanks. Thanks for coming.