While the opening ceremony of the Olympics in China was being played out in
Beijing the marchers raised the various flags of the oppressed countries and
their national anthems were played. British MP Kate Hoey, who chairs the
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Zimbabwe, gave a speech at the
demonstration. Over 40 policemen formed a protective wall around the
embassy, standing behind metal fences that were erected.
The Zimbabwean activists were protesting China’s continued support for the
Mugabe regime, including it’s use of a veto last month to block a resolution
at the United Nations Security Council calling for targeted sanctions
against the regime. The resolution would have also seen a UN arms embargo
being slapped on the country. The Chinese instead have been supplying arms
to the Mugabe regime, despite international condemnation and arguments that
there was no legitimate government in place.
The demonstrators put together a presentation featuring look-alike dictators
from Zimbabwe, Burma and Sudan, bowing to a figure representing China. A
black coffin was on display to represent the people who have died in the
various countries while fighting for freedom. There was a lot of drumming at
the venue, while banners were held aloft calling for a ‘Free Tibet’ and
demands for China to stop it’s support of the brutal military junta in
Burma.
Radical campaigner Peter Tatchell told journalists ‘We are here to remind
China and the world that the Olympics show may proceed but we have not
forgotten the millions of people who are the victims of the tyranny of the
regime in Beijing, the political prisoners, the suppressed trade unionists
and the persecuted minorities like the Tibetans. He said there could be no
normal sporting relations ‘with the abnormal oppressive regime in Beijing.’
SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe news
Post published in: News