Spotted: Graffiti protesting Shanghai Symphony Orchestra relocation

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Just as 56minus1 alerted us to protest banners at Huaihai Zhong Lu earlier this week, we recalled seeing the same protest, in the form of wall graffiti along Fuxing Zhong Lu near Hengshan Lu over the weekend.

The lengthy graffiti says "交响乐团上瞒政府下骗百姓破坏历史保护建筑!!强烈要求上海交响乐团迁建工程重新论证!!誓死保卫家园!!!" which can be roughly translated as "[Shanghai] Symphony Orchestra destroys historic buildings by misinforming the government and lying to the public!! Strongly calls for a review of Shanghai Symphony Orchestra's relocation project!! [We] pledge to fight to the death in defending our homeland!!!"

While Shanghaiist understands that the SSO was scheduled to vacate its present Hunan Lu headquarters and move to the former site of the Shanghai Diving Pool where some tennis courts are currently located, by 2010, we don't suppose tennis courts count as historical architecture so where is the historical architecture the protesters are referring to?

Since the construction site has been around for a while, we don't remember if some Longtangs had been bulldozed in process - though that is quite likely given Shanghai's characteristic destruction of all things old and "unsightly". We also can't fathom why there is a sudden wave of protests.

Was there something special about that site? We'd love to get to the bottom of this!