Human rights protestors clash with pro-China supporters

Members of the Free Tibet group and those in favour of the Chinese President’s UK visit were seen pushing and shoving, with the opposing demonstrations taking place side by side.

Campaigners from Free Tibet, Amnesty UK and other groups gathered near the George VI memorial in St James’s Park near The Mall to demonstrate as Xi Jinping passes by in a state carriage procession to Buckingham Palace on the first day of his official four-day stay.

Protesters booed the procession as it passed. Meanwhile, pro-China supporters played the Chinese national anthem through their mobile via a megaphone.

Many ignored the police perimeter designated for those from the Free Tibet group and other groups opposing the visit of the Chinese president and forces scrambled to extend the perimeter as the two sides became mixed together.

As the procession drew closer, protesters confronted each other, with traditional Chinese drums drowning out the Free Tibet demonstrators.

Though there was no violence, lots of pushing and shoving from both sides required the police to intervene. Earlier pro-Chinese supporters had interrupted an Amnesty UK photo call criticising China’s Human Rights record.

‘Heartfelt plea’

Alistair Currie from Free Tibet said the group had not been given enough room during their protest.

He said: “The original plan was for there to be a pen for the Chinese protesters and a pen for us. But the Chinese flooded the place and police didn’t hold them in. As a result we had little room.

“The Chinese government organised for people to come down here mob-handed.

“That’s easy for an authoritarian regime to do but the Tibetan demonstration is a heartfelt plea for freedom which makes it more powerful.”

Security is tight for the Chinese leader’s four-day programme and the Metropolitan Police has spent more than five months planning for the visit.

But protesters will be keeping a watchful eye on the force’s actions. During a Chinese state visit to the UK in 1999, the Met was accused of using vans to shield the presidential motorcade from protests, which it denied was the aim.

The force was criticised for its hard-line handling of the peaceful protests and admitted following a High Court case that its officers acted unlawfully when they removed demonstrators’ banners and flags.