Protestors from the Vancouver-based ‘Friends of India’ organization gathered outside the Chinese consulate in Vancouver on July 4, calling for the release of detained Canadians – Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig – who have been held in China for more than a year.
China is holding two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, since their arrest in December 2018, on national-security charges that Ottawa considers retaliation for the arrest of Huawei”s Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver in 2018 on a US extradition warrant.
Beijing was incensed over Meng’s arrest and demanded her immediate release, but Canada did not comply. Ten days later, Kovrig and Spavor were arrested.
The demonstrators carried placards that read “We stand with India” and “China against democracy”. Some of them also waved a flag of Tibet amid handwritten posters showing “Tibet is not part of China” and “Free the Panchen Lama”.
Maninder Singh Gill with the Friends of India said Spavor and Kovrig must be released immediately.
“China is bullying everyone worldwide,” said Gill. “So we want to send a strong message to the Chinese government, that’s why we decided to protest in front of the Chinese (consulate).”
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