Police probe adds to controversy surrounding Ai Weiwei
Ai began to become actively involved in public affairs in recent years.
Yu Gao, an artist, said in her blog that Ai helped organize a demonstration in the streets of Beijing on February 22, 2010 to protest the local government' s alleged attempts to demolish artists' galleries. She blamed Ai for having "too much political maturity" in the process.
"You took us to the street, but you just shot photos from the side. We could not tell if you were a participant, a worker, or a passerby photographer. Foreign media would say you were a leader who organized a democratic movement. But if police came you could easily run away. And today you asked someone to call us up one by one and say that if the police launch an investigation, never mention Ai Weiwei (had participated)," wrote Yu, who herself was a participant in the demonstration.
"Many people would become your cannon fodder," she added.
Ai's criticism of the government became increasingly open and magnified in the past two years due to his increasing exposure to the media. Up to date, authorities have not said that Ai's radical comments run counter to the law.
