LAUSANNE, Switzerland — A small group of Tibetan protesters on Wednesday disrupted a display of Beijing’s bid plans for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
A handful of protesters chanted slogans and carried banners outside the luxury IOC hotel in Lausanne. They were held back by security officials.
Three others managed to get inside the hotel, and one man got into the room where Chinese officials were displaying Beijing’s bid plans to the media.
The man was quickly dragged away, while two other protesters unfurled flags in the lobby. All three were taken away by police.
The protesters, including a monk, chanted "Free Tibet" and "No More Bloody Games."
Beijing is competing against Almaty, Kazakhstan. The protests came a day after both cities made formal presentations to IOC members at the Olympic Museum.
"We fully support peaceful protest and dialogue," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. "But protesters must also respect the laws of a country and security measures in place."
The protest was organized by a group called Activists of the Tibetan Youth Association in Europe. They acted out a scene of a Chinese policeman beating a female Tibetan protester on the ground.
The protesters say the human rights situation in China has deteriorated since Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympics.
Several IOC members were in the hotel lobby as the protest took place. They had visited the Beijing and Almaty bid displays earlier in the day.
The IOC will select the 2022 host city in a vote on July 31 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
