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Activist tries to show Tibetan flag at Olympic venue

Security officers have removed a university student who tried to display the Tibetan flag during the Olympic equestrian competition in Hong Kong.

  • AP
  • Published: 14:30 August 9, 2008
  • Gulf News

Hong Kong: Security officers have removed a university student who tried to display the Tibetan flag during the Olympic equestrian competition in Hong Kong.

The student, Christina Chan, displayed a placard bearing the Canadian flag and the Tibetan flag underneath during the competition in Hong Kong's suburban Sha Tin district early on Saturday.

When she tried to peel away the Canadian flag to reveal the Tibetan flag, four or five security officers asked her to leave but she refused. Officers carried her out of the venue about half an hour later.

Lam Woon-kwong, chief executive of the equestrian event, said Chan would be banned from future events.

Several other protesters demanding China abolish the death penalty held a banner that said "stop executions" near the venue.

Event spokesman Mark Pinkstone said Chan - who also protested at the Hong Kong leg of the Olympic torch relay in May - was removed from the venue but not arrested.

Organisers said before the equestrian event that the Tibetan flag would be banned under house rules that prohibit the display of national flags of countries not represented at the competition. The rules also prohibit propaganda on banners, clothing or accessories.

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