The September 24 Washington mobilization ended with a candlelight vigil at Franklin Park, protest chants audible at the White House and competing demonstrations around President Xi Jinping’s visit. This report follows FreeChina.live’s earlier coverage of the planned march, the September 23 hotel protests and the daytime confrontation near the White House.
Vigil held; chants reached the White House
A photograph by Getty Images photographer Finn Gomez confirms that the planned Franklin Park rally took place on September 24. The Associated Press reported that demonstrators gathered behind fencing along Lafayette Park while an honor guard and red carpet awaited state-dinner guests at the White House’s North Portico.
Loudspeakers carried chants across the park. Protesters called for Xi to leave office and shouted “Shame on Xi Jinping” as the ceremony continued.
Organizers report roadblocks near the Chinese Embassy
IANS reported on September 25 that Tibetan organizers said security roadblocks at Van Ness Street prevented hundreds of demonstrators from reaching the Chinese Embassy at 3505 International Drive. The organizers said they held a Metropolitan Police Department permit for as many as 2,000 participants with amplified sound. Tibetan Youth Congress President Tsering Chomphel publicly objected to the restriction.
Evidence limit: FreeChina.live located no second independent source confirming the permit-blocking account. It is therefore presented as an organizer claim reported by IANS, not as an independently established fact.
Counter-demonstrators and a broad coalition
The Associated Press reported that roughly 200 pro-Xi supporters gathered outside Xi’s hotel with Chinese and American flags, welcome chants and banners.
Nation Press reported an organizer estimate of more than 2,000 Tibetan participants, joined by Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, people supporting ROC (Taiwan), Southern Mongolians and mainland Chinese democracy activists. The coalition called for the release of the 11th Panchen Lama and political prisoners including Jimmy Lai. The 2,000-plus figure is organizer-supplied and was not independently verified.
AP also documented some of the people behind the demonstration: 17-year-old Anjali Tenzin Sonn, whose mother fled Tibet on foot and whose grandfather was imprisoned; Zhang Na, a Los Angeles warehouse worker who traveled to Washington; and Yang Fan, a Christian carrying messages supporting religious freedom and opposing dictatorship.
What remains unconfirmed
- No independently verified full-day turnout total is available beyond organizer estimates.
- The reviewed sources reported no arrests or injuries.
- No complete list of speakers at the Franklin Park vigil was located.
Free China Movement position
The demonstrations showed that Xi Jinping’s Washington visit could not avoid public scrutiny of repression in Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong and mainland China. The Free China Movement supports the right to peaceful protest and the demand for the release of political and religious prisoners.
Related coverage
- Washington Protest Against Xi Visit Draws Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers and Democracy Activists
- Xi Arrives in Washington to Hotel Protests
- Anti-Xi Protesters and Pro-Xi Supporters Face Off Near White House as Summit Opens
- Rapid Response: White House Summit Readout Omits Political Prisoners
Sources
- The Associated Press, September 24, 2026.
- IANS, September 25, 2026.
- Nation Press, September 24, 2026.