Tsering Passang | London |
On Tuesday, 10 March 2026 at 9 am, members of the Tibetan community in the UK, local residents, and leaders of the Royal Borough of Greenwich gathered at Woolwich Town Hall to mark the 67th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan National Uprising in Lhasa, Tibet’s capital, and to express solidarity with the Tibetan people.
Although the formal Tibet Flag Raising Ceremony could not take place this year due to ongoing scaffolding and essential building repair works at the Town Hall, the event remained a meaningful occasion for reflection, unity, and community engagement.
The gathering was graciously attended by the Mayor of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Councillor Linda Bird, the Deputy Mayor Councillor David Gardner, the Deputy Leader of the Council Averil Lekau, and Cllr. Mariam Lolavar, also a cabinet member. They joined members of the Tibetan community and local residents for a group photograph with the Tibetan national flag in the Town Hall foyer. All the council leaders have previously participated in the Tibet Flag Raising Ceremony at the Town Hall in past years.
The event was also honoured by the presence of Her Excellency Madam Tsering Yangkey, Representative of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at the Office of Tibet in London. She was joined by Mr. Phuntsok Norbu, Chairman of the Tibetan Community in Britain, along with leaders and members of the Greenwich Tibetan Association and other local residents.
Madam Tsering Yangkey expressed her sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Council leaders for their symbolic gesture and their continued support and solidarity with the Tibetan community. She thanked them for standing with the Tibetan people and encouraged their continued support for Tibetans’ peaceful struggle for freedom, justice, and human rights.
Facilitator of the Tibet flag initiative, Tsering Passang, also conveyed his heartfelt thanks to the leaders of the Royal Borough of Greenwich for their long-standing support of the Tibetan community. He recalled that the first Tibet flag raising in the borough took place in September 2015 as a welcoming gesture during the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to London, when His Holiness delivered public teachings and talks to more than 10,000 people at The O2 and met with the then Mayor of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Councillor Norman Adams. He further noted that the annual Tibet Flag Raising Ceremony has been held at Woolwich Town Hall since 2020 in collaboration with the Royal Borough of Greenwich. He also acknowledged the kind support and cooperation of the Mayor’s Office in facilitating this meeting between the Council leaders and the Tibetan community.
Mayor Linda Bird also shared her fond memories of participating in the celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th Birthday last July at the Tibetan Peace Garden in the grounds of the Imperial War Museum, where she addressed a large gathering of Tibetans and supporters during the commemorative event.
Hours after the meeting, the Royal Borough of Greenwich acknowledged the occasion on its official social media account, posting:
“Today we raised the Tibetan flag inside Woolwich Town Hall to mark Tibetan Uprising Day. Showing solidarity here in Royal Greenwich with those marking the day around the world to remember the events of 1959 and the resilience of Tibetan communities.”
Deputy Mayor Councillor David Gardner also shared his reflections in an X post, stating:
“Honoured to mark the 67th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising @Royal_Greenwich with @CllrLindaBird @averil_lekau + Greenwich Tibetan community (UK’s largest) @tsamtruk”
While the traditional outdoor flag-raising ceremony could not be held this year, the leaders of the Royal Borough of Greenwich kindly assured the community that the official Tibet Flag Raising Ceremony will resume next year once the building works at the Town Hall are completed. Their presence and engagement with the Tibetan community served as a genuine gesture of friendship, solidarity, and continued support. They also conveyed their best wishes to the Tibetan community for the day’s programme of events, including the rally at Whitehall.
The meeting reaffirmed the borough’s respect for the Tibetan people and their peaceful quest for freedom, justice, and human rights through non-violent means, as well as their admiration for the Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The annual Tibet flag initiative in Greenwich, organised by the Greenwich Tibetan Association in collaboration with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, has become a meaningful symbol of civic solidarity. Woolwich Town Hall remains the only town hall in the United Kingdom that consistently demonstrates such visible civic support for the Tibetan people. On the same day, more than 300 towns and cities worldwide, including in Germany, France, and the United States, raise the Tibetan flag as a show of support and solidarity with the people of Tibet.
Despite the temporary limitations this year, the gathering demonstrated the strength, unity, and resilience of the Tibetan community in this Royal Borough and the continued goodwill of local civic leaders. The community looks forward to resuming the full Tibet Flag Raising Ceremony next year and continuing this important tradition of remembrance, solidarity, and friendship.
Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities (GATPM) 