Free Tibet Campaign and Students for a Free Tibet protest in Tiananmen Square as Olympics begin

Five Tibet supporters held a dramatic protest in Tiananmen Square early this afternoon, calling for an end to the Chinese government’s occupation of Tibet. Four of the activists, lying down and draped in Tibetan national flags, staged a mock die-in with the famous portrait of Mao in the background. A fifth activist spoke about their reason for protesting there today.

 

The five activists, David Demes, 21, from Germany, Evan Silverman, 31, Diane Gatterdam, 55, and Joan Roney, 39, from the United States, and Chris Schwartz, 24, from Canada, were detained by security approximately ten minutes after the protest began. A sixth protester, Mat Guy, 35, from the UK, who travelled to Beijing to take part in today's action, was detained at Beijing airport and deported back to Britain with no reason given by the Chinese authorities for refusing him entry.

“The Chinese government is seeking to cover up its ugly occupation of Tibet with the bright lights of the Olympics,” said Matt Whitticase of Free Tibet Campaign. “Our action at Tiananmen Square today highlights the determination of Tibetans and people of conscience that no amount of repression from the Chinese government will extinguish the desire of Tibetans for freedom and to speak out against China’s worsening abuses in Tibet.”

The action follows two other high-profile protests by Tibet supporters in Beijing.

- On August 8, an hour before the opening ceremony began, three activists held Tibetan flags aloft near the Bird’s Nest stadium and the Olympic Park. They were tackled by security and swiftly detained, and have now been deported from Beijing on flights to New York.

- On August 6, four Tibet supporters hung two banners outside the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium. The two Americans and two Britons were detained and swiftly deported. They arrived in their home countries on August 7.

For more information, contact:

Matt Whitticase, Free Tibet Campaign, in Bangkok on +66 844 549 764.

Anne Holmes, Free Tibet Campaign in London on +44 (0)7798 666 658.

John Hocevar, Students for a Free Tibet eyewitness in Beijing on +86 15 011 000 494

Photos and video footage of the action available here