Beijing Police Evict Artists from Luomahu and Huantie Districts Ahead of Demolition

Police in Beijing have forcibly removed artists from two art districts, Luomahu and Huantie, giving them just seven days to vacate before demolition. The evictions at Luomahu, also called Roma Lake, occurred on the city's northeastern outskirts. Notices posted in Huantie on the same day as the removals cited combating organized crime and illegal construction as reasons. This follows last year's partial demolition of the nearby Chaochangdi gallery area, developed by Ai Wei Wei, where residents had only two weeks to leave. Ai Wei Wei's own studio in the Zuoyou Art District was bulldozed in 2016. Artforum reported these developments, highlighting a pattern of sudden artist displacements in Beijing's art communities. The Huantie district is located close to Chaochangdi. These actions represent ongoing pressures on artistic spaces in the Chinese capital.