- Title: Pro-Tibet protesters arrested in Geneva, hours before Xi's U.N. visit
- Date: 18th January 2017
- Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (JANUARY 18, 2017) (REUTERS) SWISS TIBETAN PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNER READING (English) "ARREST XITLER, FREE TIBET" ON PLACE DES NATIONS, IN FRONT OF THE UNITED NATIONS SWISS TIBETAN PROTESTER HOLDING BANNER AND SHOUTING (English) "WE WANT JUSTICE, FREE TIBET!" SWISS TIBETAN PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNER AND SHOOTING (English) "SHAME ON CHINA, FREE TIBET!" SWISS POLICE ARRIVING ON PLACE DES NATIONS AND TAKING BANNER OFF PROTESTERS' HANDS, ACTIVISTS SHOUTING "FREE TIBET!" (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSOCIATION OF TIBETAN YOUTH IN EUROPE SPOKESPERSON, MIGMAR DHAKYEL, SAYING: "Peaceful protesters were taken away brutally by more than 20 policemen. They were not even protesting for a minute and they were brutally taken away. They were protesting for a free Tibet against Xi Jinping's visit. We don't acknowledge Xi Jinping as a president but he is a dictator." SWISS TIBETAN PROTESTER SHOUTING AS HE IS TAKEN AWAY BY THE POLICE (English): "What a shame to be Swiss right now!" AND ANOTHER ONE SHOUTING OFF-CAMERA (English): "We are not accepting Xi Jinping here!" SWISS TIBETAN PROTESTER BEING TAKEN AWAY BY THE POLICE AND SHOUTING (English): "No human rights in Tibet! The situation is not acceptable. It's not acceptable!" AND THEN LIES ON GROUND AND SHOUTS "Free Tibet! Free Tibet!" POLICE CARRYING FEMALE PROTESTER TOWARDS POLICE VAN POLICE TYING PROTESTER'S HAND POLICE CARRYING PROTESTER TOWARDS VAN PROTESTER SHOUTING, AS POLICE TAKE HIM INSIDE VAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSOCIATION OF TIBETAN YOUTH IN EUROPE SPOKESPERSON, MIGMAR DHAKYEL, SAYING: "Xi Jinping setting foot in Geneva, he is turning Geneva and Switzerland into a country where we are not even allowed to protest anymore. We are citizens, and my friends are citizens of this country, young Tibetans who have the right to protest. And we condemn that in Switzerland Xi Jinping can even take Switzerland, can make Switzerland like a prison, and this is what we are used to in Tibet. In Tibet this happens, when Tibetans protest, when Tibetans speak out against China. And now, this has just happened in Geneva, in the city of human rights, in the city of freedom, and this is very shameful, this is shameful for the Swiss government, this is shameful for the U.N. Xi Jinping is using the U.N. to do Chinese propaganda and this is unacceptable." UNITED NATIONS BUILDING POLICE TRUCKS AND VANS PARKED AROUND THE U.N. SWISS VAN ARRIVING AND PARKING NEXT TO THREE OTHER POLICE VANS AND TRUCK SWISS POLICE STANDING NEXT TO VAN WATER CANNON TRUCK DRIVING PAST U.N. PREMISES POLICE HELICOPTER FLYING OVER THE U.N. EMPTY PARKING LOTS, WITH POLICE TRUCK / UNITED NATIONS BUILDING SIGN READING (French) "PARKING FORBIDDEN FROM JANUARY 17 TO JANUARY 18" POLICE PATROLLING RED AND WHITE STRIPED SIGN READING (French) "U.N. SECURITY" EMPTIED PARKING LOTS INSIDE THE UNITED NATIONS COMPOUND / EMPTIED PARKING LOTS INSIDE THE UNITED NATIONS COMPOUND CLOSED SHOPS INSIDE THE UNITED NATIONS BUILDING CLOSED POST OFFICE SIGN READING (French) "TEMPORARY CLOSED ON JANUARY 18TH FROM 1400" UNITED NATIONS BUILDING
- Embargoed: 1st February 2017 15:24
- Keywords: Xi Jinping United Nations protest demonstration Tibet
- Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0015ZLZSJR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Five pro-Tibet activists were arrested on Wednesday (January 18), while protesting in front of the United Nations in an unauthorized gathering to denounce the visit of Chinese president Xi Jinping.
Xi is expected to deliver a speech on Wednesday afternoon in the U.N. building.
The five activists, members of the Swiss Tibetan community, deployed two banners calling for the arrest of "Xitler" and freedom for Tibet, while shouting "shame on China, Free Tibet", or "No Human Rights in Tibet" at the Place des Nations, where protests are usually held.
They were very quickly arrested by the Swiss police.
"Peaceful protesters were taken away brutally by more than 20 policemen. They were not even protesting for a minute and they were brutally taken away. They were protesting for a free Tibet against Xi Jinping's visit. We don't acknowledge Xi Jinping as a president but he is a dictator," the Association of Tibetan Youth in Europe's spokeswoman Migmar Dhakyel told Reuters TV.
Xi arrived in Switzerland on Sunday (January 15) for a two-day State visit in Bern, and then proceeded to Davos on Tuesday (January 17) to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF). On Wednesday he traveled to Lausanne to visit the International Olympic Committee headquarters, before heading to Geneva.
During his stay in Switzerland, authorities have allowed pro-Tibet protests but only hours or a day ahead of his arrival in the city he was visiting.
In Bern, an authorised protest took place on Sunday morning (January 18) before Xi Jinping arrived, but in the afternoon, 32 people were arrested in banned protests.
In Geneva, a protest was allowed on Tuesday (January 17).
Amnesty International had raised concerns that the Swiss were caving in to Chinese pressure, allowing a demonstration away from the view of the Chinese delegation.
"Xi Jinping setting foot in Geneva, he is turning Geneva and Switzerland into a country where we are not even allowed to protest anymore. We are citizens, and my friends are citizens of this country, young Tibetans who have the right to protest. And we condemn that in Switzerland Xi Jinping can even take Switzerland, can make Switzerland like a prison, and this is what we are used to in Tibet," Dhakyel said.
"In Tibet this happens, when Tibetans protest, when Tibetans speak out against China. And now, this has just happened in Geneva, in the city of human rights, in the city of freedom, and this is very shameful, this is shameful for the Swiss government, this is shameful for the U.N. Xi Jinping is using the U.N. to do Chinese propaganda and this is unacceptable," said Dhakyel, who had participated in Sunday's forbidden demonstration.
Ahead of Xi's visit, the United Nations was put under exceptionally tight security.
Parking lots were deserted, while a police helicopter circled above the area.
Hundreds of employees who did not need to be physically in the building to carry out their tasks were encouraged to stay home. Shops inside the U.N. complex were closed by 2 p.m. (1300gmt).
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres told reporters that the Swiss security measures were a matter for Geneva police. He declined to be drawn on the unprecedented U.N. security arrangements, but praised China's support for multilateralism. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
