PM Evacuated as Bomb Threat Targets Shen Yun Performance Linked to China Dispute

Canberra, Australia – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was briefly evacuated from his official residence, The Lodge, late Tuesday night following a bomb threat linked to performances in Australia by the classical Chinese dance and music group Shen Yun. Authorities have confirmed the threat involved a false claim of explosives placed around the property.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, an email was sent to organizers of the local Shen Yun group falsely claiming that explosives had been placed around The Lodge and would be detonated if the performances proceeded. The threat prompted a swift response from the Australian Federal Police (AFP), who conducted a thorough search of the grounds but found no suspicious items.

“A thorough search of a protection establishment was undertaken and nothing suspicious was located,” the AFP said in a statement. “There is no current threat to the community or public safety.”

The incident comes as Shen Yun is scheduled to hold several concerts across Australia over the coming month, beginning tonight on the Gold Coast. The group, which has ties to the Falun Gong spiritual movement, has faced controversy and opposition, particularly from the Chinese government, which has banned Falun Gong and routinely criticizes Shen Yun performances.

Just Monday, the theatre hosting Shen Yun’s Gold Coast performance was also briefly evacuated after receiving a similar, unverified threat. Police investigated but found no evidence of a device.

The Chinese government has repeatedly issued statements urging people not to attend Shen Yun performances, accusing the group of being a “political tool” and falsely portraying Chinese culture. The Chinese consulate in Melbourne recently warned that Shen Yun performances were designed to “deceive and exploit” audiences.

Falun Gong has characterized the Chinese government’s opposition as “transnational repression” and a continuation of a decades-long persecution of its practitioners in China.

Prime Minister Albanese, who was taken to an alternate location during the security incident, addressed the situation Wednesday, stating, “I think it’s just a reminder to take every opportunity to tell people, ‘Turn the heat down.'” He added, “We can’t take these things for granted.”

The incident at The Lodge is not the first time Shen Yun performances have been targeted with threats. Last year, a performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. Was disrupted by a bomb threat, leading to an evacuation of the venue.

Authorities are investigating the source of the latest threat, but a government source cautioned against drawing premature conclusions, suggesting it could be the act of an individual opposed to Falun Gong rather than a state-sponsored operation. The AFP has established National Security Investigations (NSI) teams to investigate threats against federal parliamentarians, responding to a reported increase in such incidents.

Commissioner Barrett recently told Senate Estimates the NSI teams had charged 21 individuals across Australia since September. The AFP received 951 reports of threatening, harassing, nuisance and offensive communications to parliamentarians last financial year.

Albanese thanked police and those who sent “kind messages” following the incident, sharing a photo of his dog, Toto, “on alert” at The Lodge.