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A Global Day of Action was held on October 1,symbolically taking place on the anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).Protests took place in over 50 cities across 25 countries including Zurich, Berlin, Munich, Milan and Vienna with proper precautions being taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Tibetans, Southern Mongolians, Uyghur, Hong Kong, Taiwanese and Chinese people from across the world collectively came together to speak against the human rights violations that have been taking place at the hands of the PRC over the last 70 years. Tibetan communities in different countries also gathered outside their respective Chinese consulates to demonstrate, and were accompanied by various parliamentarians and representatives, who had words of solidarity and support.

Representative Chhimey Rigzen from Tibet Bureau Geneva lauded the protests stating, “Our office will continue to support Tibetan communities in organising and drafting necessary documents wherever necessary. It is very important for the Tibetans to continue to organise and participate in such protests and demonstration to let China and the world know that we have not given up and we will never give up until peace and freedom is restored in Tibet.”

The Resist China Campaign also took place in London that night, where people from different marginalised groups came together rand organised a projection onto the parliamentary building that included the voices of activists from persecuted groups. The video called for the UK government to publicly denounce the actions of the PRC.

One Tibetan activist featured in the video, Pema Yoko, detailed the political and social unrest in Tibet, stating, “70 years of China’s repressive policies and a severe and worsening security crackdown have created a crisis in occupied Tibet. China’s President, Xi Jinping, is showing few signs of reviewing the Communist Party’s harsh policies in Tibet, in fact under Xi’s rule Beijing has tightened its grip on public security, and restrictions on communications in Tibet have been stepped up in an effort to cut Tibet off from the rest of the world. The UK government cannot wait any longer; it must take strong, bold action now to hold China accountable for its serious human rights abuses.”