On Saturday 22nd March, Tibetans and hundreds of supporters marched from Regents Park to Trafalgar Square in protest against Chinese crackdowns on protesters in Tibet. The march passed entirely peacefully, with those on the march joined by passers by with police estimating that over 600 protesters were on the march. Marchers endured snow, sleet, rain and even a little sun in the course of a brief two hours. The march was widely reported by the UK press, and ended with a rally in front of the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square. Pema Yoko from SFT and various other Tibetans and guest speakers addressed the crowd during the rally reiterating calls to end the persecution of innocent Tibetans, and calling for the British government to put pressure on their Chinese counterparts. The march was organised by the UK Tibet Coalition: Students for a Free Tibet, Tibetan Youth UK, Tibetan Community in Britain, Tibet Society and Free Tibet Campaign.
The situation in Tibet itself has rapidly worsened. Whilst reports of continued protests are reaching the West, all western journalists and tourists have been cleared out of the country, as China has sent in special units of the Peoples 'Liberation' Army (PLA), with thousands of troops, and large convoys of tanks and armoured vehicles. Beijing has also sent in artillery units and more troops on the Lhasa railway, confirming long held suspicions that the railway was intended to tighten China's grip over Tibet.
24/03/08 @ 04:04