Police didn't quite arrest the yak, but it looked for a while as if they would not allow it to cross the road to the Chinese Embassy, but eventually things were smoothed out and it was allowed to proceed.

After this, the march of around a thousand people set off through London's west end to Whitehall, catching attention with its colour and noise. It marked the 49th anniversary of March 10, 1959, when Tibetans rose up against the Chinese who had occupied their country since 1950.

Tens of thousands of Tibetans were killed following the uprising (estimates put the total killed since 1950 as 1.2 million) and the Chinese tightened their already repressive regime. The march was led by former Tibetan nuns who were imprisoned and tortured in Tibet. It called for an end to torture and the disregard of human rights in Tibet, for freedom for their country and for the release of the 11th Panchen Lama, kidnapped by the Chinese when 6 years old in 1995. A major demand was that Gordon Brown should meet the Dalai Lama when he visits Britain in May, and end the British silence over the human rights abuses in Tibet.

My heart goes out to the people of Tibet, although my head tells me that the situation is unlikely to change in the near future. But perhaps as China matures as a nation, things will change.

One cyclist taking part was warned by police who felt he was putting other demonstrators at risk. When he refused to dismount they pulled him to the side of the road and threatened him with arrest. Otherwise I saw no incidents.

I left before the rally in Palace Street at the end of the march.

More about this – and many more pictures – on My London Diary soon.
 http://mylondondiary.co.uk/2008/03/mar.htm#tibet