WELCOME TO SFT’S OLYMPICS CAMPAIGN SITE

FreeTibet2008.org is Students for a Free Tibet’s Beijing 2008 Olympics website. Here you can find information, images, video links and media coverage of SFT’s creative and bold direct actions in Beijing and around the world this past summer.

For SFT’s current activities and campaigns, as well as information on how you can get involved, please visit www.studentsforafreetibet.org

LEARN ABOUT SFT’S HISTORIC OLYMPICS PROTESTS

Go to the Global Actions tab above for a directory of SFT’s Olympics actions inside Beijing around the world. Click on each action for more information and to watch video and see photos and bios of the activists involved.

A MESSAGE FROM SFT’S LHADON TETHONG

Watch Lhadon’s video message to Tibetans and supporters, followed by a short music video of the Olympic uprising for Tibet.

DONATE today to help build on the momentum of this historic year and support SFT’s work in the next critical phase of the Tibetan freedom struggle.

Support SFT in the post-Olympic period leading up to the 50th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan national uprising.

CHINA DEPORTS TEN TIBET SUPPORTERS DURING OLYMPICS CLOSING CEREMONY

Students for a Free Tibet activists worldwide welcome the news of the release of the ten Tibet supporters, jailed by Chinese authorities in Beijing during the Olympics. Chinese authorities deported eight American Tibet supporters as the Olympics closing ceremonies were concluding on Sunday night in Beijing. Hours later, the remaining two Tibet supporters in detention – a Briton and a German National of Tibetan descent – were also deported.

“After two days of negative publicity over its extrajudicial detention of ten Tibet supporters, the Chinese government is seeking to suppress a story that would have cast a shadow over the closing ceremony of these Olympic Games, which includes a final propaganda push to legitimize China’s rule in Tibet, with Tibetans singing and dancing along with other so-called “ethnic minorities,” said Lhadon Tethong, Executive Director of Students for a Free Tibet.

FREE TIBET CAMPAIGNERS SPEAK OUT IN BEIJING

Beijing – Two members of Students for a Free Tibet held an open-air press conference in Beijing today at 2:35 pm outside the Jianguomenwai diplomatic compound. Briton Alice Speller, 25, and American Ginger Cassady, 30, spoke for ten minutes and answered questions from journalists. The press conference capped two and a half weeks of protests by Tibetans and their supporters in Beijing and a seven-year global campaign since Beijing’s Olympic bid to make China’s ongoing and brutal occupation of Tibet a critical issue for the current and future Chinese leadership. READ MORE HERE

Beijing: Four More Activists Sentenced to Ten Days ‘Administrative Detention’

According to the British and German embassies, the four Tibet activists arrested early on August 21 have been sentenced to 10 days “administrative detention” by Chinese police. Under Chinese law, Chinese police can subject people to the punishment of administrative detention without a trial or court hearing This follows on yesterday’s sentencing of six other Tibet supporters in Beijing to the same punishment. Little else is known at this time but Students for a Free Tibet will fight this however we can and we will post additional information as we learn more.

click here to learn more about the protesters and their action…

TIBETAN MAN AND THREE SUPPORTERS DETAINED AFTER BEIJING PROTEST - AUGUST 21, 2008

INTENSIVE SURVEILLANCE FAILS TO PREVENT ACTION FOR TIBET
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 21, 2008
Contacts: In Asia, Lhadon Tethong, Executive Director, and Kate Woznow, Campaigns Director, +1 917 289 0219 or +44 20 7084 6245
**Bios and photos of the activists available at http://freetibet2008.org/globalactions/tibetanflag
Beijing – After intense surveillance by up to 50 plainclothes police, a Tibetan-German man and [...]

CITIZEN JOURNALISTS, VIDEOBLOGGERS, ACTIVISTS DETAINED IN BEIJING SIX DETAINED SINCE EARLY MORNING, AUGUST 19TH

Beijing - Brian Conley, creator of the well-known videoblog “Alive in Baghdad” was detained with his friend, Jeffrey Rae, early Tuesday, August 19th in Beijing. Their detention appears to have taken place at the same time as that of international artist James Powderly, whose detention was reported Tuesday. Three other bloggers and activists, Jeff Goldin, Michael Liss, and Tom Grant, have also been missing since Tuesday morning. Conley, 28, Rae, 28, Goldin, 40, Liss, 35, Grant, 39 are all American citizens.

The five “citizen journalists” and activists were in Beijing to support and promote human rights, freedom of expression, and freedom for the Tibetan people. They and numerous others have acted as an independent media centre for the dozens of pro-Tibet activists in Beijing who have sought to draw attention to the Chinese government’s occupation of during the Olympics. Rae and Conley shot and released online high-resolution photographs and footage of the recent protest by Students for a Free Tibet supporters at the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park.

Photo of “Ethnic Park” Protest taken by detainee Jeffrey Rae



Learn more about these detentions…

BRIGHT LIGHTS SPELL OUT “FREE TIBET” ON BANNER IN BEIJING

Five pro-Tibet activists unfurled a banner spelling out “Free Tibet” in English and Chinese in bright blue LED “throwie” lights in Beijing’s Olympic Park tonight. The five were detained by security personnel after displaying the banner for about 20 seconds at 11:48 pm August 19th. Their whereabouts are unknown.

Read more about this protest…

International Artist Detained in Beijing for Planning Pro-Tibet Free Speech Exhibit Students for a Free Tibet Notified of Detention by Twitter Message

Beijing – Internationally known artist, technologist and co-founder of the Graffiti Research Lab, James Powderly, was detained in Beijing early this morning while preparing to debut a new work and technology of protest, the L.A.S.E.R. Stencil. According to a “twitter” message received today by Students for a Free Tibet at approximately 5 pm Beijing Standard Time, Powderly had been detained by Chinese authorities at 3 am. His current whereabouts remain unknown.

The work, “The Green Chinese Lantern,” uses a 400 milliwatt handheld green laser with micro-stencils to beam simple messages and images up to three stories high on surfaces such as billboards, buildings, and bridges. The Laser Stencil technology was developed in conjunction with Students for a Free Tibet.

View all photos and updates at http://freetibet2008.org/globalactions/jamespowderly/

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