Beijing: Team Tibet Flag Protest - Aug. 8, 2008

At just past 7pm, approximately one hour before the Opening Ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, two Americans, Jonathan Stribling-Uss, 27, and Kalaya’an Mendoza, 29, and an Argentine-American, Cesar Maxit, 32, staged a symbolic protest near the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing. At Beituching and Beiching Roads, the last major intersection on Beichen Road leading to the Olympic Park, the three men opened Tibetan national flags. The three men, wearing shirts that read “Team Tibet 08″ were tackled by Chinese security forces within seconds and immediately and forcibly detained, and deported from China.

Read full press release about the protest from Students for a Free Tibet.
Read follow-up press release about the deportation and arrival home of the activists.

View photos of the Team Tibet flag protest
Download full-resolution photos of the protest, courtesy of Students for a Free Tibet.

Note: the photos show all three activists; in the photo above, the activist in front is Cesar Maxit, the man on the ground is Kalaya’an Mendoza, and in the back of the shot with the Tibetan flag held over his head behind him is Jonathan Stribling-Uss.

Download first video footage of the protest, courtesy of Students for a Free Tibet.

Download full-resolution photos of the three activists and listen to audio file with pronunciation of activists’ names.

Bios of three Students for a Free Tibet activists who staged the protest:

Jonathan Stribling-Uss, 27, was born and raised in New York City and currently lives in Oakland, California, USA. He works for a non-profit organization based in Berkeley, California.

Cesar Maxit, 32, was born in Chubut, Argentina and currently lives in Washington, DC, USA, where he works as an architect and designer.

Kalaya’an Mendoza, 29, was born in the Philippines, raised in San Jose, California, USA, and currently lives in New York City where he works as Students for a Free Tibet’s International Grassroots Coordinator.