Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe ALHAMBRA, Calif., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- A painting of Chinese leader Mao Zedong has been removed from an exhibit at City Hall in Alhambra, in California after protests from Chinese immigrants. The painting, done in the style of artist Andy Warhol, has it defenders, but some members of the city's Chinese population objected. Kai Chen, a former player on China's national basketball team, demanded the removal of the painting -- saying it romanticized a despot who was responsible for the death and suffering of millions of Chinese, the Los Angeles Times reported. Advertisement "I can't demand Americans who view Andy Warhol to understand what Chinese have been through," said Kai, who led the drive to have the work removed. "But I do demand Chinese not to forget what Mao did." John Kong, who created the work, told the newspaper it represents the positive changes that have occurred since Mao's reign. "Time passes on," he said. "There's no more Big Brother in China. You can't do magazines or launch a private paper, but other than that, you enjoy freedom of speech."
