Dozens of people marched from Centennial Square to the legislature in Victoria as part of the Tibetan National Uprising Day Saturday afternoon.
People young and old carried signs reading "Tibet is burning," "free Tibet," and "long live the Dalai Lama," as they marched along Government Street to the legislature, demanding China release its hold on Tibet.
In 1949, the army of the People's Republic of China invaded Tibet and began an authoritarian occupation that continues to this day. On March 10, 1959, the Tibetan people rose up against their Chinese oppressors, but the revolt was crushed. Thousands of Tibetans were killed and the Dalai Lama fled into exile in India.
The local event was part of the Tibetan National Uprising Day, which was also commemorated in cities around the world.