Beijing: Ethnic Park Protest

Beijing: Ethnic Park Protest - Aug. 13, 2008

Five
Tibet activists blockaded the front entrance of the Chinese Ethnic
Culture Park, at the south end of the Olympic Park, at 12:30pm today.
The five were behind locked bicycles across the entrance to the park,
which prominently features an exhibit of Tibetan culture. They wore
t-shirts reading “Free Tibet” and held a banner reading “Tibetans Are
Dying for Freedom.” A sixth activist, a Tibetan-Japanese woman, made a
statement about what they were doing and the situation on the ground in
Tibet.

Nearby, two other activists unfurled a banner over a pedestrian bridge, which read “Free Tibet.”

The
two activists at the bridge were immediately detained by security
officials. The six outside the park were detained after approximately
five minutes. The activists are: Pema Yoko, 25, a Tibetan-Japanese
woman resident in the UK; Americans Tom Cohen, 41; Martin Thomas, 36;
Jennifer Kirby, 30; Jene DeSpain, 31; James Brady, 41; Bani Campozano,
20; and Jonathan Fox, 29, an Israeli-American. Their present
whereabouts are unknown.

RFI：北京奥运会场附近警察驱散亲藏人示威英国记者采访受粗暴对待

发表日期 13/08/2008 更新日期 13/08/2008 12:02 TU

法新社今天发自北京的报道说，在北京奥运主会场附近，警察今天粗暴地驱散了亲东躲人的示威活动。大概7名示威者试图打出声援东躲标语时，被警察抓捕审问。

在场的英国ITN电视台驻北京记者和奥运特派记者JOHN RAY 被警察暴力拖到车里和一家餐馆的地上。英国记者试图说明自己的记者身份，但警察根本不让他掏出证件，在他想从餐馆逃出时，鞋子被警察扒下来。北京警方对英国记者施暴过程大约20分钟。

英国ITN电视台今天谴责中国警方对他们的记者施以暴力。该台发言人表示，将就此事正式向中国当局提出诉讼。

中国曾经承诺保证奥运期间记者自由采访，但却没有照办。本台中文网站在奥运新闻中心仍然无法打开。