Tibetan Flag at Hong Kong Olympics Stadium Aug. 9, 2008

Hong Kong – Two Tibet protesters unveiled a Tibetan national flag during an Olympic equestrian competition at Sha Tin Stadium this evening. The protesters stood up and unfurled the flag directly below the display of other national flags. A dozen stadium security officials quickly detained the two, placing sheets over their heads and holding them by their wrists.

The protesters made statements about the critical human rights situation in Tibet as they were being escorted from their seats. Matthew Browner-Hamlin, 26, of New York, and Brianna Cotter, 27, of San Francisco, are both Americans. They were released outside the stadium where they held a brief press conference. Read the press release

Click here to download the photo of the Hong Kong action (AP Photo/HO/Mingpao news)

The action follows three other high-profile protests by Students for a Free Tibet. Today, five demonstrators staged a mock die-in in Tiananmen Square, and were then detained. Earlier, three activists held Tibetan flags aloft near the Bird’s Nest stadium and earlier in the week, four Tibet activists hung banners outside the Bird’s Nest. (See http://freetibet2008.org/mediacenter/).