Tibetans Rally in Washington Against Xi Jinping’s Visit and China’s Policies

By Tenzin Chokyi

DHARAMSALA, 25 Sept: More than 2,000 Tibetans from across North America, along with Uyghurs, Southern Mongolians, Hong Kongers, Taiwanese and Chinese democracy activists, took to the streets of Washington, D.C., on Thursday to protest Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the US capital.

Held under the banner of the “Chalo DC March,” the day-long mobilisation began with a protest outside the Chinese Embassy before demonstrators marched through Dupont Circle to the US Capitol, where a coalition rally was held in the afternoon.

Tibetan protest was led by the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) and the Capital Area Tibetan Association, with support from the International Campaign for Tibet, Students for a Free Tibet, the Tibetan National Congress, the US Tibet Committee and other Tibetan organisations and supporters.

The rally brought together communities opposing what they described as China’s colonial rule and assimilationist policies in occupied Tibet, East Turkistan, Southern Mongolia and Hong Kong. Speakers highlighted concerns over human rights, religious freedom, political prisoners, cultural and linguistic rights and transnational repression.

Among those addressing the gathering was US Representative Jim McGovern, who criticised the Trump administration’s reception of Xi while pointing to China’s policies in occupied Tibet.

“As this happens, Chinese authorities are erasing Tibet’s unique culture, language and identity. They are removing Tibetan children from their homes and putting them in colonial boarding schools. They are jailing Tibetan monks who pray for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” McGovern said.

He said protesters were calling on President Trump and his administration to address four issues: securing the release of prisoners of conscience, countering transnational repression, rejecting China’s Ethnic Unity Law, and ensuring that Tibetans, Uyghurs and others detained in U.S. immigration facilities are not deported to China.

Demonstrations were also disrupted by groups supporting Xi. That evening, as Xi attended a state dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump, groups carrying Chinese national flags gathered outside the White House and used microphones and loudspeakers to play the slogan “Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome,” along with loud recorded sounds. Protesters said the amplified sound was intended to drown out and disrupt the voices of Tibetan protesters.

Tibetan protesters and organisers also reported seeing individuals they alleged were linked to the Chinese Communist Party at protest sites. According to organisers and witnesses, some wore matching grey bucket hats, face masks and sunglasses and appeared to photograph and record demonstrators. Some were also accused of threatening or physically confronting protesters. 

The Chalo DC March was part of a broader coalition mobilisation seeking to draw international attention to the experiences and demands of communities living under China’s colonial rule, with protesters using Xi’s visit to Washington to highlight concerns over political, cultural, linguistic and religious rights.