Chicago protesters oppose Chinese Olympics

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Emotions ran high in San Francisco Wednesday as supporters of China's Olympic Games confronted demonstrators who oppose the country's human rights record. Meanwhile, another Olympic protest took place in Chicago.

A group of about 60 to 70 demonstrators gathered Wednesday afternoon outside the Chinese Consulate, 100 W. Erie, and chanted anti-Chinese slogans from the time they arrived. A lot of the demonstrators say that the summer games coming up, the Olympics this summer in Beijing, actually are drawing world attention to the fact that they say a lot of Tibetans have suffered injustices at the hands of the Chinese.

First prayers. Then protests. Dozens of Tibetans gathered to denounce China's policy toward Tibet and the recent crackdown on protesters there.

"They have no chance. So we are supporting them," said Losang Sopa, protester.

They're also supporting other activists who were in San Francisco Wednesday staging a protest at the site of the Olympic torch's only North American stop on its long journey to Beijing.

"Weren't able to get there but we still wanted to say we're with you guys," said Tenzin Youdon, protester.

Organizers of Wednesday's Chicago rally led the group on a marched to the Chinese Consulate in River North past posters calling for the Olympics to come to Chicago in 2016. The future home of those games is up in the air and looks more uncertain with the growing number of people calling for a boycott of the Beijing games.

"China is totally not the right country, not the right place, because Olympics is not just about a game, it's about free spirit," said Jampa Khedup, protester.

Protesters were kept across the street from the Chinese Consulate, the site of nearly half-a-dozen rallies in about a month. Several people who were draped in the outlawed Tibetan flag came from Wisconsin just to show their solidarity with other protests at Chinese consulates across the country.

There has been no response to the protest from the Chinese Consulate.

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