Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was compelled to evacuate his official Canberra residence, The Lodge, on Tuesday following a security alert that authorities have now linked to threatening communications directed at a Chinese dance ensemble. The incident, initially described only as an “alleged security incident,” prompted a comprehensive security sweep by law enforcement who subsequently declared no immediate threat to public safety.
According to Lucy Zhao, president of the Falun Dafa Association of Australia which hosts the Shen Yun Performing Arts group, national security agencies were notified about a bomb threat specifically targeting the dance troupe. The threatening correspondence, received two days prior to the evacuation, contained explicit warnings in Chinese language stating that “large quantities of nitroglycerin explosives” had been strategically placed within the prime minister’s residential compound.
The communique issued a stark ultimatum: “If the Shen Yun performance proceeds anyway, the prime minister’s residence will be blown into bloody ruins.” Zhao asserted that such threats represent part of a broader pattern of intimidation tactics allegedly employed by the Chinese Communist Party to disrupt Shen Yun’s international performances.
Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesperson addressed the situation during a press briefing, acknowledging opposition to “various acts of violence” while simultaneously characterizing Shen Yun performances as political instruments rather than genuine cultural exchanges. The spokesperson emphasized that these productions serve primarily as vehicles for “spreading cult information and accumulating wealth” for the Falun Gong organization.
The Falun Dafa movement, banned in China since 1999 following large-scale peaceful protests by its adherents, has established a significant international presence despite its designation as an “evil cult” by Chinese authorities. A January 2024 European Parliament resolution documented “persistent persecution” of the group’s approximately 100 million claimed followers within China.
Financial disclosures indicate substantial commercial success for Shen Yun’s global operations, with the ProPublica investigative news outlet reporting $46 million in revenues for 2022 alone from performances across international venues.