Paris: Protesters rallied in several European cities on Sunday to oppose China's deadly crackdown on pro-independence activists in Tibet, some calling for a boycott of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

In The Hague, some of the more than 400 people at a protest rally tried to storm the Chinese embassy.

About 100 demonstrators managed to tear down part of the gate surrounding the embassy and replace the Chinese flag with a Tibetan one before Dutch police stepped in and prevented them from entering the embassy compound.

Officers arrested two protesters, one of whom had managed to get inside the embassy building, said a police spokesman.

In Zurich, Swiss police used tear gas and rubber bullets on between 20 and 50 protestors who threw stones at the Chinese consulate, breaking several windows.

But most of the demonstrators -- 700 according to police estimates, 2,000 according to the Swiss agency ATS -- protested peacefully. A police spokesman said no one was hurt and nobody had been hurt.

In Paris, a demonstration organised by France's Tibetan community drew some 500 people, carrying Tibetan flags and candles. Nearby, a large police presence protected the Chinese embassy.

In Rome some 250 protestors demonstrated in front of the Chinese embassy.

A rally in Brussels drew an estimated 300 people, brandishing signs saying "Stop the killing in Tibet" and "China respect human rights."
Source : PTI