Trump Press Secretary Condemns CCP Threats of Violence Against Shen Yun
At today’s White House Press Briefing, reporter Iris Tao asked Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt about the recent bomb threat against the Shen Yun Performing Arts Dance company at the Kennedy Center. In particular, Leavitt was asked what message she has for anyone attempting to disrupt a theatrical performance with bomb threats.
Her answer? “Don’t disrupt it.” (LINK BELOW) Leavitt went on to say that such threats won’t be tolerated, and that Donald Trump was traveling to the Kennedy Center to accept his new position on the board. Shen Yun has been the target of more than 20 such threats over the past year.
Less than 48 hours prior to the exchange between Leavitt and Tao, Shun Yun emcee and spokesman Leeshai Lemish appeared on the John B. Wells program, Ark Midnight, which reaches millions of listeners, which brought tremendous awareness to the threats the U.S. dance company face.
An interesting aside is that the New York Times, which has ignored the bomb threats and instead, launched hit pieces of its own against Shen Yun, did report on Trump’s visit to the Kennedy Center. It even referenced Leavitt’s comments about Trump going there. However, it again ignored the bomb threats even though Leavitt specifically addressed them.
Schedule an interview with a Shen Yun spokesman today!!
Relevant Article(s)
Trump Visits Kennedy Center for First Time Since Taking It Over – The New York Times
Beijing’s Bombing Threats Against Shen Yun Have Diplomatic Ramifications, Experts Say | NTD
OPTIONAL Q&A:
- What do you think motivated the bomb threat against Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Kennedy Center, and how common are such threats against the group?
- Why do you believe major media outlets like The New York Times have largely ignored the bomb threats against Shen Yun while covering other aspects of the event?
- How has Shen Yun responded to the threat, and what measures have been taken to ensure the safety of performers and audience members?
- Could you explain the connection between Shen Yun and Falun Gong, and why the group might be targeted by hostile actors?
- What message do you think the White House and U.S. government should send to those who attempt to disrupt cultural performances through threats or intimidation?
- How do incidents like this impact the perception of Shen Yun and its mission to share traditional Chinese culture through the arts?
- Do you see a pattern of censorship or suppression in the way certain media outlets cover Shen Yun, and if so, what might be driving it?
- What can supporters of Shen Yun and advocates of cultural freedom do to counter misinformation and raise awareness about these threats?
- Where can we learn more about the beautiful art of Shen Yun, and how it motivates others?
- The official website can be found here. Tickets to shows are also available there for purchase.
ABOUT LEESHAI LEMISH…
Leeshai Lemish has been with Shen Yun for 18 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Chinese history and language from Pomona College, California, and his master’s in international relations from the London School of Economics. He has spent extended periods studying, working, and conducting research throughout East Asia, and has authored articles on Chinese current affairs in both English and Chinese. He joined Shen Yun Performing Arts as an MC when the company was founded in 2006 and has since emceed close to two thousand performances with the company, taking the stage with Shen Yun at prestigious theaters such as Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center, the London Coliseum, Tokyo Opera City, and many others worldwide. In addition to his performance role, he has tracked and documented on his website over 100 cases of the Chinese Communist Party and its agents trying to sabotage Shen Yun internationally. He has testified on transnational repression in front of Congress, has been a featured guest on television and radio shows around the world, and is the host of the podcast Shen Yun Voices.
ABOUT LEVI BROWDE…
Levi Browde serves as the Executive Director with the New York-based Falun Dafa Information Center – an organization dedicated to ending the human rights abuses against people who practice Falun Gong in China.
A career software entrepreneur, Levi’s life changed dramatically in 1999 when his best friend came to the office one morning and announced the Chinese Communist Party had taken away his mother in Beijing to be tortured and “brainwashed.” This marked the beginning of his volunteer work to defend human rights in China. Two years later, Levi himself was detained in a Chinese jail outside Beijing for secretly meeting with Western reporters and protesting on Tiananmen Square.
Over the past 20 years, Browde has been interviewed and quoted by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, CNN, the Associated Press, TIME Magazine, BBC, AFP, and other media outlets. He has spoken about Falun Gong and human rights in China at briefings on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, at the United Nations human rights sessions in Geneva, Switzerland.
Browde studied East Asian Studies at Wesleyan University and is an avid supporter of traditional Chinese culture. He founded several software start-ups, and lives in New York with his wife and two sons.
Samples of Levi on camera:
https://tv.faluninfo.net/unmasking-chinas-gestapo-610-office/
https://tv.faluninfo.net/levi-browde-exposes-the-new-york-times-distorted-coverage-of-human-rights/
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