British, U.S. "Free Tibet" Protestors To Be Deported

8/6/2008, (RTTNews) -  Two British and two U.S. "Free Tibetan" campaigners will be deported at the earliest from China after they were arrested for unfurling "Free Tibet" banners outside the main Olympic stadium.

Security personnel remove a protester from a pole after he put up a pro-Tibet banner

The four foreigners gathered at 5.47 am Wednesday at the Beichen Overpass near the National Stadium or "Bird's Nest," the main architectural showpiece of Olympics.

Dodging heavy security, they clambered up two electricity poles and unfurled "Free Tibet" banners in English and Chinese near the main Olympic venue in Beijing before being detained, a dramatic protest that left the Chinese authorities red-faced just two days before the opening ceremony of the Games.

"One World One Dream Free Tibet" read a banner written in black letters while the others said, "Tibet will be free" in English and "Free Tibet" in Chinese. The police rushed to the scene 12 minutes later and whisked them away.

The New York-based group Students for a Free Tibet said the activists belonged to their organization, identifying them as Thom, 24, of Scotland, Lucy Marion, 23, of England, Phill Bartell, 34, of New Jersey and Tirian Mink, 32, of Oregon.

A British Embassy spokesman said they were aware of reports of two British nationals being detained near the national stadium in Beijing and the embassy is in touch with the Chinese authorities and are requesting immediate consular access.

"We resolutely oppose such behavior," Sun Weide, a media official of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) said, condemning the incident.

"The Olympic Games are a grand international sports gathering and we are resolutely against any attempts to politicize it," he said.

Beijing recently said it has set aside designated parks for holding protests with prior approval during Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Charter prohibits demonstrations of "political, religious or racial propaganda" in any Olympic sites, venues or areas.

Separately, three American anti-abortionists staged a sit-in and shouted slogans outside the National Museum of China to the east of the Tian'anmen Square but they were persuaded by the police to leave about 30 minutes later.

by RTT Staff Writer