cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/59622709
Over 3,000 Tibetans, Chinese dissidents, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, and other groups joined protests during Xi’s state visit, calling for human rights and political freedom.
[…]
The demonstration unfolded as Xi made his first state visit to Washington in more than a decade. U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed him to the White House for talks that touched on AI, trade, and other issues, while the two governments were also dealing with disputes over Taiwan, Iran and rare earths. Trump hosted Xi at a state dinner on the evening of September 24.
Outside, Tibetan protesters marched through the capital carrying Tibetan flags and signs reading “Xi Jinping is guilty of genocide” and “Tibet was never a part of China.” By the end of the day, the demonstration had expanded into a coalition that included Uyghur, Southern Mongolian, Chinese democracy, Taiwanese, Burmese, Falun Gong, and Chinese Christian groups, all people that have suffered under the Chinese Communist Party.
[…]
For many Tibetan protesters, Thursday’s demonstration was also shaped by the death of Lobga Rangzen, a longtime Tibetan independence activist who died after self-immolating outside the United Nations in New York on July 2. Rangzen, 52, had called for Tibetan independence and unity in a final message before setting himself on fire.
[…]
Tsering Chomphel, president of the Tibetan Youth Congress, who traveled from India for the protest, said people had come from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Vermont, and Toronto. “This is the first-ever mass gathering in North America. Whenever Xi Jinping or a Chinese delegation visits, TYC will be there to make sure our voices are heard.”
Seventeen Tibetans had set off on foot from the United Nations headquarters in New York on September 17, walking through Philadelphia before reaching Washington on the evening of September 23 – the same day Xi arrived. Rangzen Dolkar, one of the walkers, said the journey was meant to raise awareness about Tibet and Pawo Lobga Rangzen’s death.
[…]
The gathering also included Chinese democracy activists. About 50 members of the Democratic Party of China traveled from Los Angeles, according to Zheng Zhou, a member of the group.
“We want Xi Jinping to stop persecuting people. We want him to free Jimmy Lai, Ding Jiaxi,” said Zhou. Lai, the billionaire founder of Apple Daily, Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy newspaper, and a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party was sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier this February after being convicted of conspiracy to commit sedition and collusion with foreign forces.
[…]
For the Tibetan organizers, the rally was not simply a call for another statement from Washington.
“Tibetans are not looking for a statement at this point,” Ugen said. “The U.S. government already has enough laws that have been passed by Congress, and all they need to do is to actually stand on those.” In 2020, Trump signed the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 into law, which strengthened U.S. policy on Tibet.
[…]