A Canadian arrested during a pro-Tibet protest in Beijing's Tiananmen Square is winging his way back to Canada after Chinese authorities deported him.
Chris Schwartz, a 24-year-old Montrealer, was one of five foreigners arrested by Chinese plainclothes police after their protest on Saturday.
The protesters wrapped themselves in Tibetan flags, smeared fake blood around their mouths and dropped to the ground.
Despite his relative youth, Schwartz is a veteran activist on the Tibet issue.
Many Tibetans believe China forcibly annexed their territory when Chinese troops invaded in 1950. China insists Tibet has always been part of its territory.
The Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, has said his people want autonomy within China, not outright independence.
During the lead-up to the Olympics, Tibetan activists have tried to ramp up pressure on China, especially in the wake of violent protests in Tibet itself back in March.
CTV's Steve Chao told Newsnet that the Tibet-related protests have continued in recent days, with Saturday's event being the most prominent.
At that protest, the activists had been using a Canadian flag for cover, hiding the Tibetan flag they had been carrying.
Reporters asked Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson about it, and the minister said he was disappointed that the Canadian flag would be used in such a way.
The minister was also disappointed that the Olympics are being "politicized," Chao said.
