Let the Games Begin: Protests Under Way Ahead of 2008 Beijing Olympics

Let the Games Begin: Protests Under Way Ahead of 2008 Beijing Olympics

KATMANDU, Nepal -- In the thin air of Mount Everest base camp last week, a group of five American activists thumbed their frozen noses at the Chinese Government by holding their own "opening ceremony" on behalf of Tibet.

They unfurled a banner that parodied China's Olympic slogan: "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008," it read. As a cameraman sent live images via the Internet, the activists even lit their own torch and sang the Tibetan national anthem -- minutes before Chinese border guards took them into custody.

The stunt was the latest effort to use next year's Olympic Games as a platform for advocacy on issues such as Tibet, Taiwan and human rights.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article as well as three free articles per month. You'll also receive our free email newsletter to stay up to date on all our coverage:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having your own personal researcher and analyst for news and events around the globe. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of 15,000+ articles
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday
  • Weekly in-depth reports on important issues and countries
  • Daily links to must-read news, analysis, and opinion from top sources around the globe, curated by our keen-eyed team of editors
  • Your choice of weekly region-specific newsletters, delivered to your inbox.
  • Smartphone- and tablet-friendly website.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review