NEW DELHI (AP) — About 150 Tibetan exiles held up blank pieces of paper as they rallied in India’s capital on Friday to express solidarity with people in China protesting its “zero COVID” policy.
The blank paper is a symbol of defiance used by some protesters in China against the ruling Communist Party’s widespread censorship.
Street protests broke out in several Chinese cities over the weekend driven by anger over rigid restrictions to combat COVID-19. The “zero COVID” policy seeks to eradicate the virus through sweeping lockdowns, travel restrictions and relentless testing.
Since the protests, some Chinese cities have eased anti-virus restrictions as the government tries to defuse public anger.
The demonstration in New Delhi was organized by the Tibetan Youth Congress, which supports the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader. It was held at Jantar Mantar, an area designated by authorities for protests near India’s Parliament building.
People are also reading…
The protesters called for Chinese President Xi Jinping to step down and chanted “Stop genocide in China” and “Free Tibet, Free China.”
Tenzin Tsundue, a writer and member of the Tibetan Youth Congress, said he was excited that Chinese people are speaking out against restrictions and demanding freedom and democracy.
“When protests are happening in China it is important for us to send this message to the people in China that we stand with you,” Tenzin said.
A large number of Tibetans have been living in exile in India since the Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese control. China doesn’t recognize the self-declared Tibetan government-in-exile in India and rejects the Dalai Lama’s quest for greater Tibetan autonomy from Beijing.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest Health News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
Denial of responsibility! NewsAzi is an automatic aggregator around the global media. All the content are available free on Internet. We have just arranged it in one platform for educational purpose only. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials on our website, please contact us by email – [email protected]. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.
