Free Tibet activists gathered outside the Chinese Embassy in Washington on Thursday to protest Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit and meetings with President Trump.
Hundreds of demonstrators unspooled Tibetan flags, waved crossed-out portraits of Mr. Xi and chanted “Shame on Xi Jinping!” to denounce China’s authoritarian rule.
According to Washington’s Metropolitan Police, five groups filed for rallies during the visit: the Falun Dafa Association, the Tibetan Youth Congress, the Wei Jingsheng Foundation, Protest the Chinese Government and the Greater Washington Chinese-American Community.
Echo Xiao, a devotee of Falun Dafa, a spiritual practice rooted in Chinese traditions, said that her call to protest Mr. Xi’s visit stemmed from the Chinese Communist Party’s religious persecution.
“We want the whole world to hear our stories,” she said. “We want basic human rights.”
East Turkistan and Tibetan advocacy groups organized another protest Thursday morning near Lafayette Park, across from the White House, to demonstrate against the state visit and Beijing’s policies toward ethnic minority communities.
Activists and advocacy groups have spoken out against China’s “Ethnic Unity Law”, which they argue forces Sinicization, the process of making non-Chinese societies adopt Chinese language, customs and political values.
Mr. Trump and global leaders have been urged to confront Mr. Xi regarding human rights abuses in Tibet, press for resumed dialogue between China and Tibet and demand the release of political prisoners.
Law enforcement agencies increased security in downtown Washington, ahead of the Chinese president’s state visit.
Police blocked several roads with trucks near the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and restricted parking and traffic in downtown areas.
The U.S. Secret Service led the security planning alongside federal and local partners, deploying a large number of police and military personnel.
“Secret Service personnel have been planning for the visit of the Chinese president for several weeks, in coordination with Chinese officials and our federal and local law enforcement partners,” the agency said in a statement.
During Mr. Xi’s visit, the two leaders were expected to discuss trade, the war on Iran and artificial intelligence.
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