Bird’s Nest Banner Action – Aug. 6, 2008 

BBC reports that four foreignershave been arrested in Beijing for scaling 120-foot light poles and unfurling 140 square foot pro-Tibet banners outside the Bird’s Nest stadium during the final leg of the Olympic torch relay. State media reported that four activists from Britain and the US had been arrested in Beijing after a brief protest close to the Olympic stadium They had unfurled two large “Free Tibet” banners from electricity poles, despite tight security.

Iain Thom, 24, lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is an environmental campaigner and the former National Coordinator for SFT UK. Iain was arrested early morning on August 6, 2008 after scaling a 120-foot light pole outside the National Stadium in Beijing and hanging a 140 square-foot banner proclaiming, ‘One World, One Dream, Free Tibet.’

Phill Bartell, 34, was born and raised in Bridgewater, NJ, USA. He lives in Boulder, Colorado and owns and operates Rising Tide Tattoo shop. Phill was arrested early morning on August 6, 2008 after scaling a 120-foot light pole outside the National Stadium in Beijing and hanging a 140 square-foot banner proclaiming, ‘Tibet Will Be Free’ in English and ‘Free Tibet’ in Chinese.

Lucy Marion, 23, grew up in Cambridge, UK. Lucy is a member of Students for a Free Tibet. She recently graduated from Bristol University and lives in London.

Tirian Mink, 32, was born in Portland, OR, USA where he still lives. He currently works as a project manager for construction firms.

The Olympics opening ceremony is just two days away. Yet thousands of Tibetans remain detained and missing. Tibetans inside Tibet have risked everything to call for freedom and human rights.