Protesters rally at IOC HQ
18/03/2008 17:18  - (SA)  

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Lausanne - Up to 1 000 demonstrators gathered on Tuesday at the seat of the International Olympic Committee in the Swiss city of Lausanne to denounce China's crackdown in Tibet.

The demonstrators, many holding banners and Tibetan flags, arrived with a police escort. The procession was led by monks in traditional robes.

"Stop Killing in Tibet," read one banner, while another said: "Mr Rogge, your silence kills Tibetans" - a plea to the president of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge.

The organisers estimated that around 1 000 protesters were present, more than double the 400 initially expected.

Despite the police presence, the demonstration was peaceful - in contrast to scenes in the eastern Swiss city of Zurich over the weekend when police fired tear gas at protestors calling for Tibet's independence.

The demonstration will pile pressure on the IOC, which has been criticised for its reticence after China last week sent troops to the Tibetan capital Lhasa to quash street protests.

The Swiss Olympic Committee on Monday urged the International Olympic Committee to make a public statement over the recent unrest.

Swiss Olympic president Joerg Schild said that the credibility of the Olympic movement will be at stake if there is no official reaction to the recent crackdown on protests by Buddhist monks and others in Tibet.

"Whoever remains silent in the face of the latest events gives the impression that they do not care about the fate of the people in the host country," Schild said.

- AFP

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