Activist poet Tenzin Tsundue and SFT India Co-ordinator Tenzin Choeying left the UK last weekend after an action packed 10 days. Check out what Tsundue made of his trip here.

On Friday (June 30th) two protesters from SFT UK and Tibetan Youth UK held a protest against the launch of the Tibet Railway at The Luxury Travel Fair in Kensington, London. The protest focused on luxury travel company GW Travel, who were exhibiting at the fair, due to their part in promoting the railway to western tourists.
 
Pema Yoko of TYUK and Pete Speller of SFT UK handcuffed themselves to a flight of stairs leading to the exhibition and held up a banner saying "Reject the Railway - GW out of Tibet", whilst other demonstrators, including Tenzin Tsundue (above) and members of Free Tibet Campaign, confronted GW Travel at their stand over their decision to sell £2395 tours on the Tibet railway and promote its use by tourists.

Despite offering to leave voluntarily, both Pete and Pema were wrenched from the handcuffs and removed by security. But the protest continued across the street, regardless of it being one of the hottest days of the year, calling on GW to end its involvement with the Tibet railway and raising the issue with people attending the fair.
Click here to see pictures from the action inside.

The railway will be used by the Chinese government to consolidate its power over Tibet by moving many more Chinese migrants into Tibet to dilute the local culture and identity and compete for scarce jobs as well as more easily strip Tibet of its natural resources.

To find out more about the railway and how you can take action click here and visit www.rejecttherailway.com to see pictures of other actions against the railway from around the world.

At the Chinese Embassy in London today, activists from Students for a Free Tibet and Tibetan Youth UK joined campaigners across the world protesting against the opening of the Golmud-Lhasa railway, a politically motivated project intended to consolidate China's hold over Tibet, through population transfer and the ability to rapidly deploy military units in Tibet.
Check out more pictures of the London demo on flickr and the Tibetan Youth blog.

There have been an intense couple of days of international protests to mark the opening of the railway, with SFT activists and Tibetans demonstrating in Beijing, Dharamsala and at embassies and consulates around the world. You can read this post on the SFT international blog to get a flavour of the press coverage.

Students for a Free Tibet Edinburgh were outside the Chinese Consulate today to protest the opening of the Chinese railway in Tibet. Donning our black armbands to represent this black day for Tibet we took pictures of ourselves outside the building that have been sent in to www.rejecttherailway.com.

Iain climbed the exterior wall to get the Tibetan flag nearer the Consulate and in doing so attracted the attention of a big group of Irish guys in the pub opposite. We explained what was happening and they agreed to take part! Check out the pics below.

Iain and Iona