Sydney: Tibetans in Australia today apologised for a violent protest outside the Chinese consulate which resulted in one man being charged with assaulting police.

Tenzin Gaden of the Tibetan Community of Australia, one of the country's largest Tibetan groups, said the clash was the result of anger and frustration fuelled by concerns about relatives in Tibet following deadly violence there.

"Although their emotional behaviour was unacceptable, in their defence I can advise that they were devastated by the news coming out of Tibet," said Gaden, who is president of the group's New South Wales branch.

"I can only apologise on behalf of the Tibetan community who have lived peacefully in Australia for many years, and hope that you can excuse their behaviour on this one occasion."

Police used pepper spray and called in extra officers to subdue the crowd of 100 protesters who rallied outside the Chinese mission yesterday afternoon.

Three men and a woman were arrested. "The protest escalated with people allegedly climbing onto the front gate before damaging a flag inside," police said in a statement.

"A police officer was allegedly hit over the head with a placard before being punched and kicked."

Three of those arrested were later released but a 31-year-old man was charged with assault, police said.

The southern city of Melbourne was the focus of protests today, with more than 100 people demonstrating outside the Chinese consulate in the upmarket suburb of Toorak.
Source : PTI