Protesters Rally in Washington During Xi Jinping State Visit

President Donald Trump hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a state visit in Washington on September 24, featuring a state arrival ceremony at the White House and a candlelit dinner. While the official agenda focused on trade and artificial intelligence, the visit triggered widespread demonstrations across the city.

More than 2,000 Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, and Chinese democracy activists held rallies at the Chinese Embassy, Lafayette Park, and the U.S. Capitol. Protesters declared Xi "not welcome," calling him an "architect of genocide" and demanding the release of political prisoners, including the 11th Panchen Lama, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Jimmy Lai. Activists specifically targeted China's "Ethnic Unity and Progress Law," which critics claim forces Tibetan children into boarding schools to erase their culture.

U.S. Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Jim McGovern joined the demonstrations, urging President Trump to prioritize human rights over economic interests. Representative McGovern called for the support of the Assuring the Future of Tibet Act to empower the Central Tibet Administration. The protests faced disruption from approximately 200 pro-China counter-demonstrators who gathered outside the Waldorf Astoria hotel to welcome the Chinese leader.

Prior to the summit, the International Campaign for Tibet and 29 other organizations sent an open letter to Xi urging an end to transnational repression. Lawmakers and faith leaders continued to press the Trump administration to use direct presidential pressure to secure the release of detainees, citing the previous release of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri as a successful precedent.