Protests Ring Out Near White House as Xi Jinping Visits; Calls Grow for Tibet, Hong Kong and Taiwan

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump warmly welcomed Chinese leader Xi Jinping with a personal airport greeting, a tour of a new helipad and a candlelit state dinner. Yet demonstrations near the White House continued almost nonstop Thursday while Xi was in Washington for the official visit.

Pro-Tibet independence protestors demonstrate near the U.S. Capitol while China's President Xi Jinping visits the White House, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)(AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

Protests and Counter-Protests

The demonstrators represented a wide array of grievances, from demands for religious freedom and greater autonomy in Tibet, Hong Kong and Xinjiang to calls to preserve Taiwan's self-governance. Large groups gathered behind a security fence along Lafayette Park, waving flags and holding placards. Loudspeakers relayed their chants toward the White House's North Portico as guests arrived for the state dinner.

Pro-Tibet independence protestors demonstrate near the U.S. Capitol while China's President Xi Jinping visits the White House, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)(AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

Chants such as "Xi Jinping has got to go" and "Shame! Shame on Xi Jinping!" rose in volume during the ceremony and echoed across the park. At the same time, about 200 supporters of Xi gathered outside the hotel where he was staying, waving Chinese and American flags and holding banners that read "A warm welcome to Chairman Xi on his visit to the U.S."

Pro-Tibet independence protestors demonstrate near the U.S. Capitol while China's President Xi Jinping visits the White House, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)(AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

Marches, Messages and Personal Stories

Opponents of Xi's government assembled outside the Chinese Embassy in the morning before marching through parts of the city. By late afternoon, a few hundred people had gathered in a park near the White House to publicly "unwelcome" the visiting leader. Many demonstrators flew Tibetan flags and carried signs with the Chinese characters for "freedom" and "democracy," along with placards reading "Keep Taiwan Free" and "Liberate Hong Kong — revolution of our times," a slogan associated with Hong Kong's mass protests in 2019.

Pro-Tibet independence protestors demonstrate near the U.S. Capitol while China's President Xi Jinping visits the White House, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)(AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

Voices From the Crowd

Seventeen-year-old Anjali Tenzin Sonn joined a mostly Tibetan group outside the U.S. Capitol. She said she felt compelled to march after hearing stories of her mother fleeing Tibet on foot and of her grandfather being held as a political prisoner. She described the protest as "inspirational."

"I hope Emperor Xi won't remain in power. I hope he can give Chinese people real freedom — freedom of speech and religion," said Zhang Na, a 31-year-old warehouse worker from Los Angeles who traveled to the protest. Zhang said she grew weary of China's prolonged COVID-19 lockdowns; she flew to Ecuador three years ago and later crossed into the United States via the southern border.

Yang Fan, 39, a Christian who attended with his wife and daughter, held a handwritten sign calling for "freedom of religion" and an "end to dictatorship." He said he wanted to stand up for Christians in China and hoped Xi would release those imprisoned for their beliefs. Melody Calkins, 30, who spent much of her childhood in Hong Kong, said she would like to see the city's freedoms fully restored.

What It Means: The demonstrations highlighted international concerns about Beijing's policies in Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang, as well as mounting tensions over Taiwan — issues that shadowed Xi's state visit and were audible even at the gates of the White House.