6 August 2008

BEIJING - Two United States and two British citizens were detained on Wednesday after a pro-Tibet protest near Beijing's National Stadium two days ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony.

Two of the foreigners, both British men, scaled 120-foot light posts and unfurled 140-square-foot banners calling for a Tibet free from China's rule near the stadium, known as the Bird's Nest, according to Students for a Free Tibet, a New York-based group which organised the protest.

The Xinhua news agency quoted police confirming the protest happened.

The website of the Free Tibet 2008 campaign group named the two Britons as Iain Thom, 24, from Edinburgh and Lucy Marion, 23, from London.

A spokesman for the British Embassy in the Chinese capital said it was aware of reports that two British nationals had been detained and officials were in touch with the Chinese authorities.

The protest occurred around 5:47 am, about two hours before the day's part Olympic torch relay began in Beijing, and two days before the Olympics opening ceremony is scheduled to take place at the stadium.

One banner read in large black letters "One World One Dream Free Tibet" and hung down a pole as one of the activist clung to the pole, according to a picture shown on the American TV station ABC New's website.

The second banner read, "Tibet Will Be Free" in English and "Free Tibet" in Chinese, the group said.

Within 10 minutes of the banners' unfurling, firemen arrived in fire trucks with extended ladders and removed them, ABC said.

After police arrived, the two men climbed down and police checked their identification, but did not handcuff them, ABC said. Xinhua said the four - three men and one woman - were led away by police.

One climber, who identified himself as Iain from Edinburgh (Iain Thom), spoke to ABC News via mobile phone while climbing down.

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