According to an Associated Press article published in The Washington Post, fans and supporters of the artist Ai Weiwei have raised about $840,000 to help the artist pay off his 15 million yaun ($2.4 million) fine that the Beijing tax bureau has demanded he cough up for supposed tax evasion.
Some people donated by tossing cash over Mr. Ai’s gate and into his yard.
According to the AP:
“This shows that a group of people who want to express their views are using their money to cast their votes,” Ai told The Associated Press. “It shows that in the Internet age, society will have its own judgment and its own values. People are using these methods to re-examine the accusation that I evaded taxes.”
The artist spent almost three months in prison earlier this year without being charged. Mr. Ai’s tax evasion has been interpreted by many critics as punishment for the artist’s derision of the Chinese government.
