From the Brooklyn Paper via Albany Project comes a disturbing piece of news: apparently, four New York City residents have been arrested in Beijing for protesting against the Chinese occupation of Tibet.

The Chinese, who are hoping that their efficient oversight of the Beijing Games will wipe away memories of Tiananmen Square, have arrested one of Williamsburg’s best-known multi-media artists after discovering that he planned to project a pro-Tibet message on a building in the Chinese capital.

Artist James Powderly has been in a Chinese jail since Aug. 19 — though the official charges are unknown.[...]

Though Powderly was apprehended alone, he traveled to Beijing to collaborate with five activists from the group Students for a Free Tibet — including Brooklynites Samantha Corbin, Jacob Blumenfeld, and Lauren Valle — who were arrested later that day after unfurling a light-up “Free Tibet” banner in front of the famed “Bird’s Nest” stadium, the student organization said.

The whereabouts of Powderly and his American compatriots remain unclear. A spokesman from Beijing’s Municipal Publicity Security Bureau refused to comment on Powderly’s arrest, according to the Associated Press.

Bad things happen to people who wind up in the jails of authoritarian regimes. Please act today to start bringing pressure on China to free its prisoners. Call China's representatives here in the United States, and the Department of State to act quickly to get our citizens released.

Chinese Embassy, Washington: (202) 328-2500
Chinese Consulate General, New York: (212) 244-9456
United States Department of State, Washington: (202) 647-4000

Matt Browner-Hamlin of Students for a Free Tibet emails over an action item.

New York – U.S. Tibet Committee ("USTC") is calling upon all Tibetans, Tibet supporters and Tibet organizations that reside or are based in New York City to immediately call or write to New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and demand that she allow a vote on Council Resolution 1299 ("The Tibet Resolution").

The Tibet Resolution was introduced by City Council Member Tony Avella in March 2008. It recognizes Tibet as an occupied country and condemns China for its human rights violations in Tibet. The Tibet Resolution calls upon China to end its human rights violations in Tibet and calls upon all corporations based in New York to withdraw sponsorship of the Beijing Olympics until China respects the human rights of Tibetans.

Council Member Avella has requested a hearing on this resolution, but that request requires approval from Speaker Quinn who has so far ignored the request.
USTC urges all Tibet supporters in the New York City area to immediately call, write, or fax Speaker Quinn and demand she allow the Tibet Resolution 1299 to move forward. You can contact Speaker Quinn at:

Christine Quinn
City Council Speaker
224 West 30th Street, Ste. 1206
New York, NY 10001
(212) 564-7757
(212) 564-7347 (fax)

Tell Christine Quinn that you are a New York City resident, or that your group is based in New York, and you demand she allow the Tibet Resolution go forward for a hearing and a vote before the start of the Beijing Olympics on August 8, 2008.

Also, if you are a New York City resident and voter, contact your own council member and tell them to support Resolution 1299. You can find your council member here.

Such a resolution would obviously have no more than symbolic value, but in the war of symbols that is the upcoming totalitarian spectacle of the Beijing Games, it's worth doing.