Tibetans protest outside IOC headquarters ahead of Beijing Olympics

Tibetans protested outside the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Switzerland on Thursday, a day before the Winter Olympics are set to begin in Beijing.

The headquarters saw hundreds of Tibetans marching and holding signs that read “Save Tibet” and “No More Bloody Games,” The Associated Press reported.

Human rights activists and others have been against China holding the Winter Olympics due to their human rights abuses against the Tibetan people, Uyghur Muslims and other minority groups in the country. 

Some at the protest waved Tibetan flags while others showed support for the Uyghur Muslim population. A small police escort accompanied the demonstration, according to the AP. 

The United States and multiple other countries declared a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics due to China’s human rights record. 

China has denied all human rights accusations and said activists and other countries should not make the Olympics political. 

Human rights activists have called for athletes to take a stand at the Games while they are in China.

“Times have only worsened for our people and it would be great for athletes to be part of that conversation, too,” Chemi Lhamo, a Tibetan Canadian activist, told The Hill in December. 

“On a human-to-human level, it would be lovely to connect [with athletes] and let them know about our stories, and also be able to have that opportunity to hear from them about their concerns and what role athletes play in choosing where these Games are allowed to be hosted and the repercussions of hosting these Games,” she added.