“More media coverage [means] more people knowing about the cultural genocide in Tibet,” says Tashi Psuri of TIBETcenter. In his eyes, protests not only generate inspiring speeches but demonstrate worldwide support for Tibet. During a protest last month, activists marched down Michigan Avenue from Water Tower Place to the Chinese consulate at Clark and Erie Streets with fists in the air shouting “free Tibet!” Since large crowds congregating around the consulate tend to generate a sense of unease among consulate workers, Tibetan protester Pema Rinzin measures success by high turnouts and Chinese consulate workers’ pleas to State Department officials for protection.

While protesters and police have avoided violent clashes, a handful of Tibetans have been arrested—one man for climbing to the roof of the Chinese consulate and waving the Tibetan flag on March 18, and others for later obstructing a Chinese official’s vehicle. But according to Psuri, the objective isn’t necessarily a free and independent Tibet. He, along with the Dalai Lama, advocates for a middle path, where Tibetans can express their religious beliefs freely in a Chinese-occupied Tibet. To achieve this, Psuri believes nonviolent protest is of highest importance and encourages protesters to “view the Chinese government as Buddha. Why revolt against Buddha?”

—Sarah Perdue

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