8 Aug 2008

Olympic protests held around the world

Human rights campaigners scaled up anti-China protests today with demonstrations around the world and an unauthorised broadcast from inside Beijing as the Olympic opening ceremony began.

Nepalese police detain a Tibetan protester near the Chinese consulate in Katmandu

While a heavy police presence ensured the streets of the host city remained calm, Chinese authorities were unable to stop the pirate radio transmission by media group Reporters Without Borders in the capital.

Using transmitters and a homemade antenna, the message, broadcast in Mandarin, English and French, urged the government to relax state control of the media and called for the release of imprisoned journalists.

Meanwhile, large protests were held in cities including London, Hong Kong, Delhi and Kathmandu.

guardian.co.uk