A five-year-old Tibetan boy, in a silky yellow chupa, waves a colorful Tibetan national flag with his left hand raised high toward the sky while the right hand clings to his brother’s hand as they march along the busy streets of San Francisco with hundreds of other Bay Area Tibetans and supporters. Diligently following the footsteps of his mother, who is two paces ahead, the boy mumbles “Free Tibet” and “China out of Tibet”, which he obviously has learned during the course of the march. The hundreds of pedestrians, drivers and passengers in cars, bus, trucks who are from all kinds of racial backgrounds: Asian, European, African, Latin America… watch with astonishment and admiration at the rising tide of the collective Tibetan cry — that pang for freedom — from the depth of every Tibetan’s heart.
This year’s 47th March 10th commemoration in the Bay Area begins at 9 a.m. in Berkeley where Mr. Tom Bates, the Mayor of Berkeley, hoists the Tibetan national flag in Martin Luther King Park, a huge respect to the Tibetan cause that happens only in Berkeley, in the entire U.S, surrounded by Tibetan men and women sharply dressed in Chupa and T-shirts labeled “Free Tibet” on the chest and “Rangzen” on the back. A growing number of the marchers are surprisingly young Tibetan boys and girls, who have taken the day off from their respective high schools, a sign that the struggle is gaining more ground and roots that anyone could have easily imagined a decade ago.
After presenting His Holiness’ speech for this day in both English and Tibetan, speakers like Mr. Tom Bates — the Mayor of Berkeley, Mr. Chris Willington — the Berkeley Council member, Mr. Giovanni Vassallo – President of Bay Area Friends of Tibet, Mrs. Chime la – president of Tibetan Association of Northern California praise the Tibetan commitment for freedom and justice through non-violence. Mrs. Chime la encourages that the Tibetan people must hold dearer and stronger to our hearts the plight of our unique Tibetan culture, our undisputed leader Kundun, and our undying spirit to resist Chinese government’s oppressions in Tibet. San Francisco TYC President, Tenzin Wangchuk calls upon the Tibetans and supporters to intensify the activism against Beijing Olympic 2008, which he terms as a “historical opportunity”. It is soon followed by the Bay Area Tibetan cultural group leading the Tibetan national anthem and other important patriotic songs.
At 12 noon, the party, growing in size, gathered at Powell Street, San Fracisco, in front of the Bart Station. With the big banners raised high and the main body of the march tailed after a 22 feet long sound truck, the marchers walk passed around the Union Square, the heart of the Downtown San Francisco, where crowds of hundreds of pedestrians, shoppers, staffs in Thai, Korean, Chinese restaurants, three, four, five star hotels and Macy store, Levis, and Disney kids store flood the streets to witness the Tibetan cry for freedom. At City Hall, the first stop of the march, Kasur Tenzin Tethong la, one of the chief speakers, shares today’s March 10 experience in comparison with those of the past. Through this observation, he encourages Tibetans to continually contribute to the Tibetan cause within whatever capacity that we have.
He tells that a difference for Tibet can be made at every level a Tibetan can be capable of. A message from the Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi is read out, and it points out the fact that China is still controlling Tibet with a blatant disregard to Tibetan people’s fundamental human rights. She calls upon the Chinese leadership to respect the Tibetan people’s basic right to survive as human beings. A political theatre is staged by a group young Tibetan students which recalls the history of Tibetan suffering since Chinese occupation. A powerful message is sent out in the ending: “No matter how much happy you are abroad, never forget your homeland –- Tibet.”
Through Vanness Street, the marchers turn left onto Geary Street, one of the two main arteries of San Francisco traffic. All along the way, the protestors protest in their peak voices, while the placards reading “China out of Tibet”, “Free Tibet” that are spread across in human waves. Traffic is closed in all the intersections by SFPD, a respect bestowed on Tibetan protestors in America.
The sound truck, a special addition to this year’s march, sends out the slogans across the city, some people latter inform us that these slogans have been heard even from ten blocks away. Flyer distributors has taken the side walks and passed around more than 1500 flyers.
The protest reaches its climax when the marchers formed a long, compact attack position right in front of the Chinese consulate entrance. The sound track, loaded with two immensely huge sound boxes, becomes the launching ground of verbal assaults against the Chinese cruel, extermination policies in Tibet. It is also aimed at paralyzing the workings of the consulate for the day. “Shame on China”, “China Out of Tibet”, “Free Tibet Now”… condemnations that rock that area of the city for the next three hours until 4 p.m. During the protest, a speech is presented from Congressman Tom Lanto’s office which emphasizes that China must seriously negotiate with the Dalai Lama while he is still alive and when a peaceful solution of the Tibetan issue is still looming in the horizon.
Executive director of Tibet Justice Center, Chris McKenna, stresses in his speech that Tibetan activists and supporters must now grab the opportunity of 2008 Olympic in China to bring China on to its knees. In an emotional speech by a young UC Davis Tibetan student, Tenzin Delkyi or Delha la as people call her, encourages the Tibetan youth to study harder and to smartly use the facilities we enjoy abroad so that we can become better, more efficient and stronger productive force for the Tibetan cause. A moment of silent tears dripping down from many protesters’ eyes sweeps across the protestors when Delhala unbearably cries and calls upon the Tibetan people to remember our suffering brothers and sisters in Tibet, “It may be hard to imagine what their (Tibetans inside of Tibet) suffering is like when our reality here is so different. But think about your worst day multiplied by hundred, and their suffering is still worst than that and u get the idea.”
Topden Tsering, former SFTYC president and a prolific writer, a force of words and of action, through his speech reminds us that the number of people does not matter when comes to Tibetan activism and he calls upon the Tibetan people to realize the potential that each one of us can make a difference from our individual level. He supports it by pointing out the case of an Tibetan activist who was one of the three protesters in Italy where the IOC (International Olympic Committee) was brought down to attend the degrading human rights issues in Tibet and raise the issue on a high level talk with the Chinese authorities. Members of local Tibetan musical groups play their most empowering songs: Punta Tso Chikdeal Gyi – Let Us Unite, Longshor – Rise Up.
When the rain pours heavier, the protest is called off an hour earlier than planned. Bay Area Tibet Support Groups express sincere appreciation to all the Tibetans and supporters who have shown up today to remember those innocent Tibetans, killed, buried alive, tortured and massacred by the vicious Chinese occupying force. We should continue to keep the fire of resistance alive within us and the world must remember, with China in particular, that Tibetans and their die-hard supporters have not given up and will not give up until Tibet is free. This is summarized in one of the most powerful slogans of the day —“No Freedom, No Peace.” or in other words — if there is no freedom in Tibet, there shall be no peace not only for the Chinese authorities in Tibet but in China as well.
Bhod Gyalo
