Tibetan flag brings international glare

Charlottesville's show of solidarity with Tibet has drawn the ire of the People's Republic of China. City Council voted to fly the Tibetan flag over City Hall March 10, the 49th anniversary of China's invasion of Tibet, Henry Graff reports for NBC29. The Chinese Embassy emailed City Councilors: "The action taken by City Council not only interferes in China's internal affairs, but also departs from the established policy of the U.S. government against the Tibetan independence." Mayor Dave Norris vows to hang tough in support of the city's 66 Tibetan residents, who plan a march through town on Tibetan National Uprising Day. No word on whether Charlottesville will be booted from the Olympics.


Three cheers for Charlottesville in standing up to the communist Chinese!

please donn't go olympic(2008).bycott olympic. donn't support to olympic. because red chinese official always lying to world.
if you go to olympic it same to support the butcher because they have no sympathy. please donn't go olympic and donn't support olympic.

I apologize if it sounds like I'm "standing up for the City" in any matter except their decision to show solidarity with Tibet. I understand that various people have gripes with O'Connell, some of them probably very good. The time to voice those is when the City is doing something stupid or at least something which you're opposed to. But what I've seen here is simply disparaging of Council's decision to stand by Tibet, for no good reason other than general dissatisfaction with the City government. Don't judge the action based on your view of the person. With all the injustice in this world, we owe the peoples affected by it a more dignified and thoughtful response.

Rich Felker - "...it's extremely poor taste to disparage your neighbors' aspirations for freedom..." Don't put words in my mouth. I have said absolutely nothing about the Tibetan cause or the planned demonstration. I spoke about Council's official involvement. We have three levels of government in this country, federal, state, and local. It is the federal government that conducts foreign policy. Not the state and not the local. I also went to the Boston website. Nowhere did I see any mention of Boston city government and nowhere did I see any mention of Charlottesville. Please tell me where to find it or are you putting words in someone else's?
"...for the sake of waging your personal crusade against the city manager." I would agree with you if you re-phrased the words to say "...for the sake of waging your personal crusade against bad government decision-making processes." I would like for Council to serve in its appropriate place and I would like for the City Manager to serve in his. I have no problem with any domonstrations in front of City Hall or in front of my house, for matter.

Dear Citizen,

For what reason, sir, do you connect City Council with C.P.C?
I received an e-mail on Leap Day, from Mayor Norris, which stated, "City Council has only discussed this possibility in very broad terms." That is, of course, the possibility of owning the Water Street lot, as well as the land under the Water Street Parking Garage, all of which is owned by C.P.C.

As far as this property owner goes, any deal between C.P.C. and the City has already been inked. The only pending corporate business is that of the Annual Meeting of Stockholders, on March 27, 2008.

Perhaps one of the good people of Tibet, including those Naturalized, would help in the area of public representation on our Board. Hopefully, the Charlottesville band, "Jolly Llamas" will headline the "after-party!"

I am a tibetan guy who has not interest in political activities but the way of doing chinese authorities is selfishness and narrow mind. all tibetan people have no willing to stay with chinese goverment but still red chinese forcing on tibet and it people. chinese goverment distroying tibet's rich and vast cultural which helpful to all people in this planet if" observe".
red chinese used weapon on tibet until now but they could not divided or splitted between tibetan and it's great leader the dalia lama. now red chinese doing another way to wash out tibetan from this world by sending han chinese in tibet. red chinese official are very shame ful to world.

The group does this all the time. They are misusing their power in the eyes of many. It's a scary thought to now have China angry with Charlottesville! The council should consider that they have pulled the citizens they represent into an uncomfortable situation. This is unfair to the people who elected them. The council has no right to use local government properties in this manner. Lord only knows what other banners they will display in the future. The situation in this case is all wrong. A VOTER is correct as he/she points to the inappropriateness of such a move.

Dear Council of Charlotte ville. I'm so proud of you. I know you can do it. you did a great job. you are raising germany's glorious political power above the World. Without human right, democracy, and compassion, the world can not be exist properly. thank you, than you, thank you.

Bravo charlotteville, I'm a Chinese, and I'm so appreciate that you are doing a right act. We need like you to control the Chinese selfishness, fake political agenda, and against through incredibly rough violence on its people. thank you!

Let's hope the Council is more conservative in protecting PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS of downtown landlords like Charlottesville Parking Center, Inc. (CPC) than it is in engaging smoldering red herrings, half a world away.

We are not ready to pay for Downtown parking in yuan! This errant cabal should stick to its knitting, and back away from any deal with the government of Tibet, or with the CPC.

It is about the struggle of a people in an area which includes part of Himalaya, to sort through the various treaties to which they have been a part, over many years. Much like Virginia fought the Union to preserve her way of life, these folks oppose the People's Republic.

A brief history of the conflict, now given, someone else may decide which flag to fly. My view is City Council needs to "stand down."

"Well, my telephone is ringing, and they told me it was Chairman Mao.

*credit Lowell George

Take a chill pill, Rich. I enjoy reading how others feel about the O'Connell dude. Like others, I feel he's totally useless too. Can't even really say he's just a pretty face sitting in on the council meetings.

Council is O'Connell's lapdog, not ours. He didn't tell tell them not to do it (no money out of his budget), so they did it.

Take your complaints about O'Connell to somewhere appropriate, like a Council meeting. Solidarity with Tibet has nothing to do with him and it's extremely poor taste to disparage your neighbors' aspirations for freedom for the sake of waging your personal crusade against the city manager.

Rich, Why do you make it your mission to protect the city? People have a right to complain. This is really not about the problems of Tibet.
It is about the misappropriation of power in CHARLOTTESVILLE. I for one, also want to see IMPROVEMENT.

Thanks to city council of Charlottesville hosting Tibetan National Flag on the city building on 10th
march.You have uplifted spirit of six million Tibetans who still under a house arrest in their own country.Tibet was never a part of China and never will be.Thats is why China is trying hard to convince you that she is.China is interfering internal affairs of city of Cherlottville.Thanks to people of cherlotteville city.The day will come soon, you will be the sister city of Tibet's city.

For anyone who feels that Charlottesville City Council acted out of turn, why don't you go and say something at the meetings.

You complainers could have make your opinions known this past monday.

There were no complaints made at that meeting nor in the past about the Tibetian Flag.

Go to CH 29 website. says some man tried to tear down the Tibetan flag,city hall on friday.
Now see what I mean? Council is creating MORE problems in forcing politics on the citizenry. scary
my god they're acting like china!


Isn't that kinda like 24/7, 365 days a year? :)

And I am being serious, not just cracking jokes.

It is not within the province of our City Council to conduct foreign diplomacy.

I think the council should mind its own business. It was elected to make decisions about charlottesville and it is WRONG to state that the city of charlottesville supports Tibet's uprising. I am not commenting on which side of the fence they are on, I am commenting on the appropriateness of speaking for 100% of the people when they did not ask 100% of the people. Let non govermental groups do that. Stick to what you were elected to do... like hire a police department that can stop criminals or stop governemnt workers from wasting money sending letters to china.

Mr. Connerat, what on Earth is this all about?

City Council of Charlottesville did the right thing. It is time to show support to the Tibetan people. They have been under house of arrest, torture, rape, and toke their natural resources away.

The Moa who murdered two million people has occupied Tibet for long time. It is time for them to realized that the brutal communist made a mistake. Time will come and China will fall a part into pieces soon.

Dear Shen xin please answer following questions:

If Tibetan people are happy under Chinese dictatorship, why Chinese government deployed thousands of army in Tibet?

If Tibetan is part of Chines, the Chinese government has to force for Tibetan to learn Chinese?

If your statement "These separatist by no means represent the majority of the Tibetan people, who strongly support the unity of China." is true, why the Chinese government is wire taping and listening phone conversation.

The Chinese government has terrorized whole Tibet and Tibetan people.

Rallying on the mall is OK. Using the tax dollars/energies/flag pole of city hall IS NOT OK.

I am a resident of Charlottesville and I think this decision by the city council is very appropriate.
Residents of the home of Thomas Jefferson should represent freedom and solidarity towards the victims of oppression and tyranny.
Also America needs to show China that it will not bow down to the pressure because of trade and economic dependency. It is very brave of the City of Charlottesville to have shown the strength.

P.S. No tax dollars have been spent except the 10 mins that the representative of the Tibetans living in Charlottesville took to put up their proposal to the Council.

Rob-ten, I also believe the cause could be a worthy one.
Why can't the issue be handled by private individuals? Taxpayers expect council to focus upon the many unmet goals in "the city".
In the view of many, the flag above city hall should be the American flag. Do you believe the Tibetan flag should take its place?