Students for Free Tibet along with Tibetans living in the US capital and Charlottsville, Virginia, staged a very feisty demonstration in front the Chinese Embassy here in Washington, DC on July 1 to denounce the inauguration of the Golmud-Lhasa Railway line. Visibly angry and incensed Tibetans, including children, wore black arm bands to mark the occasion as a black day for Tibet, and shouted slogans like “No Railway in Tibet – We Don’t Want It!, We Don’t Need It!”, “China, Out of Tibet” and “Tibet for Tibetans”. Stark posters depicting blood on rail tracks and explaining how the railway will be used to denude Tibet of its precious resources, mingled with the Tibetan national flags as many passing motorists honked their support for Tibet.
Speaking to the demonstrators, SFT coordinator Rich Felker said: “While this is a sad day for Tibet because of the potential impact of what the railway could do to Tibetan culture and people, we must also remember that every time China does something evil and diabolical like this, we will become stronger and more resolute, and therefore must not lose hope”. Lhundup Amdo, President of the Capital Area Tibetan Association expressed solidarity with the three SFT activists arrested in Beijing, and said “This railway project shows how distorted China’s priority on Tibet is. It is disgusting that they could spend 4 billion dollars on something Tibetan people don’t need at all, while the most basic and essential needs like schools, clinics and drinking water are woefully lacking in so many areas of Tibet. Its only objective is political.”
Frustration and anger is evident on faces of many of the demonstrators. One prominent activist, who was dressed all in black for the day, said the blood on the tracks will be that of the Tibetan people. Getting emotional, he spoke to the group and said “I hope this will spark some sort of resistance in Tibet” and suggested peacefully removing railway tracks as means of protest.
The rally ended with a full throated singing of the Tibetan national anthem with the rears of the demonstrators facing the Chinese Embassy.
The protest was jointly organised by Students for Free Tibet, Capital Area Tibetan Association, and Tibetan Association of Charlottville.
