There is more to be gained by allowing China to open its doors slowly to the rest of the world than by performing irritating stunts which antagonise. The Tibetan people will not be helped by making them the protest focus of exhibitionists.

David Cotterell, Cheltenham, UK

The protestors have delivered another message apart from their stunt, is arrogance, ignorance and lack of respect to another sovereignty in a dissoluted way.

Janet, Bath,

I am sickened by and ashamed of the Britons and Americans writing that China "should not have been ALLOWED" to hold the Games. The arrogance (based on what, prey?) and the lack of historical knowledge of China, Tibet, and - above all - their own countries are absolutely mind-boggling.

Jon Leyton, Groningen, Netherlands

We cannot lose XIzang(Tibet) in any way,because it is too important for us,if it did,we would lose the whole country.
Please understand us.

Han, liaoning, China

please give China, Chinese people a chance, come to China to see real China, real Tibet.

Believe your eyes, not western media. Wester people were befooled in Iraq war by the western media and politician.

yue, Shanghai, China

How comes it's usually students and the man on the street who steps forward to protest. Where are the people who will be assuming power once the revolution has taken place?

Daisy, Hong Kong,

For an entertaining read that may open your eyes to different points of view about China, I recommend reading "Peking Dust", available free online through the Gutenberg project. Thought-provoking stuff even if it's nearly 100 years old.

Neil, Jakarta,

Good work Ian and Lucy!

Met them in Mcleod Gang a while ago. Excellent people, glad to see they pulled this off.

Tim, Bath,

Is there not some barren island owned by nobody onto which Olympic athletes could be parachuted every four years to compete entirely without media to leave the world to a sports-free TV and me?

Kevin Straw, Leicester,

This story makes me smile every time I read it! More power to them - the protesters I mean. China should never have been allowed to host the games in the first place, so the more disruptions, the better, as far as I'm concerned!

Rooney, Harlow, UK

Laura from Leicester,
I totally agree with you! Let Scotland be free. If they are going to be totally independant then we would be free of that loser Brown. We would also be better off as they would have to fund themselves and pay for all the benefits that they get and we don't!

Andy, London,

These kids are just turning out to be full-time agitators. I do hope the tax payer is not having to bear the burden of them. Why don't their parents tell them to get a proper job?

David and Dorothy Thwaites, Poole,

UK was once called the empire on which the sun never sets because UK invaded and occupied many counties and turned them into colonies.Please donot forget what you did to local peple.Actually,Uk,the onced great,(in fact,very tiny,only240000sq.km)empire now sets day by day.It is just a loyal dog of US

Jack, Maoming, China

Ha ha ha......

Well done,

they should do it again in a public place, show more Chinese what they want to show. hope they can survival ...

Atum, Singapore, Singapore

The Chinese should have thrown them in prison as a message to other potential troublemakers.

Greg, Bristol, UK

The problem is: You talk to any Chineses, be they in the mainland or abroad, and they will say Tibet has always been Chinese and never agree to mistreatment of Tibetians. Unlike to some Europeans, no guilt for the past imperalism.

James Wong, Macau,

Brave British, Proud British, and a fabulous show on the moral high horse even before the Games begin. Brilliante!

reallysad, beijing, china

Where were you guys when Scottish and North Irish fought for their freedom in 1980s and 1990s? Where were you? Binge drinking? Stabbing each other in the streets? Robbing old pensioners in neighbourhood? Come on, drop your double standard! If only you guys let Scotland and North Ireland free!

Laura, Leicester,

These guys should have tried it in the middle of the day on the street when there are lots oridinary chinese people around. but i doubt they even dare to. No need for police, the people around will tear their banners into pieces :)

tiana, tianjin, china

Human rights? Do western media tell Britons Tibetans actually have more privilige than han chinese in attempt to make them grow strong? Check with local tibetan, in china, they are not subejective to one child policy, do you know that, English human rights pioneers????

mike, london,

Martin from London: I have lived in China and visited Tibet.I think this allows me a better understanding of the 2 sides of the debate. Unlike most, it seems, i don't rely on either CCP or Free Tibet propaganda to form my views.Your "yellow peril" stance is based not on understanding but prejudice.

Karl, London,

I salute the brave young people who made a statement by unfurling the 'Free Tibet' flag.
Well said Jutharat. We can make a statement by not watching the Olympics that is tainted with blood of 30 million (killed by Mao)+ Millions of Tibetan killed+ Tiannamen Square massacre
How can the world forget

Ruben Turner, London, UK

They are very brave.

nalin patel, Milton keynes, uk

Ms Tethong is not the representative of all Tibetans of China. if we want to know the truth we'd better go to Tibet by ourselves and live there for a while to listen the commen Tibetans' heart, but not listen to the people who want the super powers in Tibet. and hope no politics in Olympic games

jarcy, guangxi, China

China needs to be able to accept more of this kind of stuff, and quickly. With the eyes of the world now on Beijing, If they have any sense they will treat the protesters well and release them. Any other response is a big mistake.

Dom, London,

How can anybody criticise China here? Surely what we did to Northern Ireland is just as bad? There is nothing in their history that is worse than ours. If our country was a paragon I could understand.

And where are the banners for Xinjiang? Oh wait-we dont care about muslims.

LJ, Leicester, uk

It was a peaceful demonstration , and on some international occasion like this one , international rules should apply , which means they should be immidiately set free. If the Chineese find them trouble , they can deport them, but putting them in prision or punishing otherwise is unjust.

Bhaskar Gollapudi, London, UK

Jlanjun Hu, London

Lucky for you being in London during the Olympic Torch Protest. Doubtless you were on the street supporting your side of the argument. No prison sentence of course, because in the UK democratic protest is not a punishable offence. You were protected by our laws and constitution

Colin, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Karl from London, surely that's Karl from Beijing?

Martin, London, UK

I wonder how many of you actually know what is going on.
I wonder how many of you actually know China or Tibet.
Boris , Belgravia, "The democratic protests will go on as long as Chinese communism persists." The cold war is over now Boris, China has not been really communist since the early 90's

Daniel, London, UK

I look forward to 2012 when the games come to London. We shall be having a democratic Olympics with the police and constitution protecting our right to protest. Perhaps Chinese folks will join us to put their point of view. They certainly did during the torch run. Lots of Tibetans were there as well

James, Beckton, East London

Fools

Theyve now ruined the games for the rest of the foreign tourists that attend, that will no doubt have to undergo more intense security.This done to satisfy their own demands for Kudos within the free Tibet groups. Once again loony lefties acting with no idea of the consequences for others.

Dave, Lincoln,

In 1950 the Chinese army 'gathered illegally' to invade Tibet. One world, one dream.

Mary, London,

Good on them - more protests please !!!!!

ian payne, walsall,

Well done to the protesters. Its really sad, the atrocities happening in the world today, in China, Burma, Zimbabwe, Darfur. The torture and opression of fellow human beings. Oblivious to all this, most will sit in front of televisions and watch the olympics. I wont be and urge you not to.

emily, kent, uk

Nice one kids. Great that an ex-colonial power bar none has the decency to tell a new, particuarly minor, colonial power how to conduct its affairs.

Tim, HK, HK

China needs to stay cool. Democracy will keep popping up all over the place during the next two weeks. If you invite the world in then these things will happen. Free Tibet, Free Tibet, FreeTibet. Free Tibet. It will keep appearing. You can't stop it.

Colin, Carmarthen, United Kingdom

Follow my example and switch off the olympic's, they must not to give credence to China

Mike, Barnstaple, England

A warning about China? Christians worldwide are expecting her to do an outward march (google the kings of the east) and there are prophecies all over our christian churches about her soldiers on Australian soil and there are no guns in the Defence cupboard for our citizens. We're mostly defenceless.

G.Gibson, Sydney, Australia

Iain has been working for a free Tibet for as long as I have known him. This took courage and skill and I would commend him for it. I hope he is safe considering the record of Chinese security forces and look forward to buying him quite a few pints when he returns unharmed.

grant, edinburgh, scotland

Tibet is a contentious issue, but some in the West need to learn that there are 2 sides to the argument. Hopefully the Chinese will ignore the UK Embassy and charge these people to the full extent of Chinese Law. Maybe they could read about Tibetan history during their lengthy incarceration.

Karl, London, UK

Well at least foreigners are relatively safe to protest because we all know what happens to Tibetans when they do. It seems if we do nothing we are complicit and if we protest then we are ‘not helping’

Mike, Nottm, UK

Stand up for what you believe in. Makes me very proud to see people DOING something, rather than just talking about it. Shame on Chis Holar (see previous post) for his nonsensical comment - this is a passionate protest, not a drunken football riot.

Sam Dickerson, Brooklyn, USA

Better than a "Free Tibet", which simply sin't going to happen in the near, or probably far, future, would be a "Fairly Treated Tibet". And every other non-Han minority in China. Rather than antagonizing a paranoid dictatorship, activists in the west should be trying to educate good government...

Ciderlout, London, UK

The legitimacy of the CCP's rule is what's being called into question here. How can the world accept Beijing when they act with such brutality in Tibet? If Tibet is as peaceful and harmonious as the Chinese government wants us to believe, why don't they allow the world media access? Bravo SFT!

sam price, St George's, Grenada

Utter disgrace to Brits everywhere, giving us a bad name when we go abroad and not very effective. Will just make people aggravated and is more trouble that it is worth.

Chris Kolar, Dorking, UK

Britons are so cheeky.

jinlujian, huhehaote, china

I wish the people who put so much effort into 'freeing' Tibet, would put the same amount of effort into fixing the problems we have here in Britain.

Arthur, Newcastle,

Brave protest - makes me proud to be British

Roger Knight, Watford,

"The Chinese should NEVER have been allowed to stage the Olympics in the first place.." Ditto for London 2012. The UK should NEVER have been allowed to host the 2012 Olympics because of widespread atrocities committed during its colonial past (abuse and killings in Kenya, India, Africa, Malaya etc)

Yang, Shanghai, China

Lim...I think you are misunderstanding jealousy. Perhaps you should take issue with China's Educational Minister...it seems that there are a few terms that are misunderstood. Begin with Jealousy and then move onto 'Genocide', 'Freedom of Expression','Freedom of Speech','Human Rights',' etc etc

James Cullup, Oxford,

James Murray, London.

What about us conventional middle class, middle aged protestors. Should we be dealt with harshly as well? The democratic protests will go on as long as Chinese communism persists. It's a matter of hide or die for many. Tibetan or Uighur alike.

Boris , Belgravia, London

Punish them, time for the politics to stop and the sport to begin.

Dean, Southampton, England

Free Tibet = hurt feelings of ordinary Chinese = enhance evil CCP govt approval rating = strengthen hardliners within CCP = China goes defensive = tougher stance & control on Tibet region = slower the real progess will reach 6m ordinary Tibetans.

So you Free Tibet or Free your own ends, hippy??

Dr. Wang, Mayfair, London, UK

As with the USSR and Eastern Europe, when a country wants to go its own way it will get what it wants sooner or later. Many countries in our commonwealth did the same and became independent.

The world will remember Tibet's situation for a long time after the Games. Their time will come.

Josh Briggs, Huddersfield, UK

James Murray

One suspects your obviously dislike of ‘hippy student types’ out weights any serious consideration of the protests.

I doubt you will be singing the praises of Islamist Bombers the next time one of their bombs is directed at the UK.

mike, Nottm, UK

Why so ignorant? Tibet was, is and will be Chinese territory. Is it so difficult to comprehend??

If you protest for general human rights improvement, pls count me in. Free this & Free that is pathetic! China & Chinese will go into war without blink of eyes for territory integrity, even with US.

Dr. Wang, Mayfair, London, UK

White idiocy taken too far! I sometimes reason that the greatest threat to world peace today is the endemic moral superiority syndrome which is pervades the western world.
To my mind this disease is the reason western countries are wasting their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan today. It might have been right in 1908 for the white world to assume divine authority over the whole world, but it is not reasonable today in 2008. The world has changed and the only way the white world will continue to lead the world n peace is to stop meddling.

Ezhi Opfu, London, UK

I find it ironical that the descendents of opium dealers are protesting about Tibet and human rights.Western hypocrisy at its best..

Victor Chang, Hongkong, Hongkong

Jutharat, Bangkok, Thailand
It is better to throw your TV out of the window. Be a man!

JIanjun Hu, London,

Michael Rigby, blackburn,

The British should NEVER have been allowed to stage the Olympics in the first place. Their record on genocide and WORLDWIDE abuse of human rights is atrocious.

The British degrades the Olympics sprit. London 2012 Olympics has become a political propaganda tool.

Hu, London, UK

I wonder how much people have ever thought what eventually Dalai and his followers want from China authority ? To bring back Tibet to what it used to be 50 years ago ? the day 3% noble people such as Dalai own whole Tibet ? The day slaves are legal for noble family ?

Hunter Hsu, Shanghai,

Foreign protesters should be dealt with harshly, especially hippy, student types who think it is "fun" to try and expose China's regime during the Olympics. The more this stuff goes on, the more respect I have for the Uighurs and less so for Tibetans.

James Murray, London,

CT Lim. You are correct, the British and American governments do bad things all over the world. The difference is that I can challenge their actions - write a blog, write to my elected representatives, read independant newspapers and protest in the streets of london. You can't in Beijing or Lhasa.

John, london,

Dear 'string-em-up-Sam' I certainly hope you are being ironic? While I will certainly be watching and enjoying the games I certainly wont mind peaceful protests of this kind causing disruption to the events.

james, london, uk

CT Lim: I find it a little distasteful that you are suggesting people should only be concerned with the errors of their own countries, rather than look out to the world in general to fight causes which appeal to them personally. Freedom of speech and expression shouldn't be distorted.

James Cullup, Oxford,

If you knowingly break the law in a country, you must accept their justice system's decision.
And if China looks at the state of British society, they will not have any desire to immitate our naive political correctness.

Matt, Antibes, france

'Saving face' is central to the chinese mentality, both of government and the people while change will only come from inernal pressure. Keeping these issues in the public eye while not impinging on the success of the games is the only way to satisfy these dual requirements.

james, london, uk

The Olympics is no longer about competing atheletes, but rather politics, money and promoting the business of professional sports that want to tap into a wider paying audience.

Matt, Antibes, france

The press never reported the privileges that the Tibetans are enjoying over and above the Han Chinese e.g. education, housing or even child policy. The Chinese deal with the trouble makers just the same as the americans did to their violent protesters and not to mention Gutanamo Bay prisoners.

TWK, Peterborough, UK

I will close my TV. Freedom is more important than sports.

Jutharat, Bangkok, Thailand

Sam Dundas.
The Chinese should NEVER have been allowed to stage the Olympics in the first place, their record on torture and the abuse of human rights is atrocious.
The Chinese govern their country in a manner which degrades the Olympic sprit, the Olympics have become a political propaganda tool.

Michael Rigby, blackburn,

From another source:

"Dr Kerry Brown, an expert on Chinese issues...added that most Chinese were less concerned about the situation in Tibet than with their country's economy."

Similarities with our apathy towards Iraq? The majority care more about domestic issues. Always have, always will.

Howard, Manchester,

Didn't take long for the brainwashed bots from China to appear on here, did it? And why call these protests uneducated when at least we can make our own minds up, rather than relying on what your government wants you to believe (including that the Western media is supposedly biased).

Nick Carter, Orlando, US

Am quite shocked that students have travelled to Beijing, put their safety and liberty at risk to highlight other peoples' repression, and people consider this a 'bad thing'.

In what manner is freedom a threat, and why do dictators find such apologists but young students attract disdain?

Anthony Parsons, London, UK

well done to the brave people - the uprising and protests may have increased the repression but what else to do than to stand up for your rights? Hide away and live a life of fear? The IOC and the CCP will regret the day China got awarded the Olympic Games.

tenz, LDN,

China is only for the Chinese which includes Tibet. So, uneducated Westerners should back off.Just for those illiterates, it is already one new generation of Tibetans gone by. So, what is the problem? Just pure jealousy of peace anf harmony. NOT human rights!

Lim T H, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Let the Chinese deal with their own problems at their own pace - after all they have done that for the last 5000 years.
Inflicting Western ideology on others without understanding them leads to problems such as those that are arising in Africa. Invading Iraq is a classic example of democracy.

David Jones, London,

The Chinese government care more about "face" than people's lives - see the acrobat seriously injured et al. The sooner change happens, the better. Comparisons with North Korea are reasonable here. The Olympics will expose the CHinese government for what it is - so many cameras!

Andy , Livingston,

The Tibeten invaders in 1874 still want to split Tibet from China now days , but I can assure you that it will be a failure.

win, Shanghai,

Democracy will keep popping up all over the place. If China wants to take part in the modern world then they must accept the ways of the modern world in their own capital. The Olympics is a world event and worldly things will happen. The CCP need to stay cool, keep quiet and watch and learn.

Boris , Belgravia, London

Chinese prisons have got huge space for those UNEDUCATED protests, welcome to Beijing! :D

BTW, Chinese media will report those UNEDUCATED protests' stupid behaviour.

JIanjun Hu, London,

the brutal terrorist attack in Tibet of China led to many citizen and police's death and hundreds people injuring. The terrorists(Dalai group) made fire in the city with robbing , smashing .... I think the purpose of Dalai group is to seperated China and to have themselves become king of Tibet

yebbi, guangxi,

CT Lim, Kuala Lumpur

Many of the same protestors will have protested against the US/UK invasion of Iraq, it's not a popular war here.

Mike, NOTTM, UK

Well if the repression on the Tibeteans have been increased, they only have to blame themselves and their supporters.. I also hope the authorities break with tradition and make an example of these foreign protesters, by giving them 10yrs hard labour.
Sam Dundas New Zealand

SAm, Auckland, New Zealand

May this be the first of many protests to come. Wonder if this will be reported on in the Chinese 'media'...

Tim O'Toole, London,

There is only a fine line between ensuring freedom of rights and maintaining order, such as in Iraq. Not that I am suggesting for one minute that Tibet is similar to Iraq. And really, Can the British and the American protestors look at what their own countries have done in other foreign lands first

CT Lim, Kuala Lumpur,

Let's hope there will be many more peaceful protests, including from medal winning athletes on the podium. China must finally realise that to fully participate in the modern world, human rights and other abuses must end now.

Paul Judges, York, England

I think these protests have actually worked to hinder the Free Tibet cause. The CCP is now becoming more suspicious and iron handed, and will become even more so if something happens during the games. It's sad the amount of racist spewing the coverage over Beijing has engendered, by all sides.

Jess, zurich,