Minneapolis protest calls for boycott of Olympics over China's human rights abuses
A protests in Minneapolis calling for a boycott of the Olympics in China on January 30, 2022.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A protest Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis called into question China's record on human rights ahead of the Winter Olympics next week in Beijing.
The opening ceremonies are just five days away, but in Minneapolis protesters were calling for a boycott of the Olympics.
The group staged a rally outside the Target Center ahead of Sunday’s Timberwolves game. Their concern is that the Winter Games will be going on in a country that the United States has accused of human rights violations against minorities – specifically the Uyghurs, a minority group of Muslims that live primarily in the northwestern corner of the country. China has been accused of a genocide against the Uyghurs.
Protests also raised concerns over China's occupation of Tibet.
"I don’t understand because I know the United States also boycotted the Soviet Olympics along with the Holocaust," said protester Tenzin Namgyal. "So it’s just amazing that China is able to get away with all of this in the modern-day and age where we have the internet where we have information that can spread across people so easily with the blink of an eye and we’re not doing anything about it."
Last month, President Biden announced U.S. diplomats would not be attending the Olympics because of these human rights concerns. The International Olympic Committee has repeatedly said it must be "neutral" and stay out of politics.