Check
out below to see photos and read reports of the Valentine's Day
protests at Google offices worldwide! Also, check out the News Section for more media coverage of the day's events.
***Reporters - for photographs or updates please email or call 778-322-3071
INDIA
 Dharamsala
- Tibetans in Dharamsala, the residence of his holiness the Dalai lama
lead a protest rally against Google collusion with Chinese government
in censoring information in China and Tibet. The activists of Students
for a Free Tibet and Friends of Tibet lead the protest rally in
coordination with the world-wide camapiagn aginst google's censorship
in China and Tibet. On valentine's day young Tibetans said "NO LOVE
FOR GOOOGLE" BOOgle!!! is their new slogan. - SFT India and Friends of Tibet
AP writer Ashwini
Bhatia covered the Google protest in Dharamshala, and the article has
been carried in media outlets worldwide, including ABC News, CBC News,
Globe and Mail, Washington Post, Victoria Advocate, NewKerela.com and many more! Click here to read the article.
 Hyderabad - RTYC Hyderabad and Friends of Tibet protested outside Google's  office in Hyderabad.
UNITED KINGDOM
London - We
had our no luv 4 google action to day, which went really well. Even
though Google had told their staff they didn't need to come in to work
and had got the police to set up barriers outside their building, we
still had a good turn out and lots of support from the p ublic passing
by (it's just across the road from one of the busiest train stations in
London, so loads of people saw it). - Ben Martin, SFT UK Board
***The NoLuv4Google campaign was chosen as the Guardian's Campaign of the Week, check it out!
Edinburgh -
Braving being labelled romance cynics, we stood outside our university
library, home to a large selection of computers, and urged our fellow
students to ‘Break up with Google!’. By showing copies of results from
buzzwords such as ‘Dalai’ typed into goole.com and google.cn, and by
handing out postcards, lists of alternative search engines, and helpful
information, we persuaded a good number of people to join the boycott
(for that day at least!). Our friendly local green MSP, Mark Ballard
(who was only coincidentally canvassing for support in his bid to be
elected university rector!), seemed inspired by our work and promptly
set about putting forward an EDM (early day motion) through the
Scottish parliament in support of the boycott Google campaign, as well
as vowing to encourage as many MSPs as possible to give up on Google
for the long term. Brilliant!
AUSTRALIA
Sydney - A
small number of Tibet supporters gathered at noon today to let the
world know that Google had broken their hearts. Amongst the roses and
chocolates, a long-term relationship came to an end in public. We held banners and handed out information to interested
passers by informing them they had broken up with Google - for good! - Katie Camarena, Australia Tibet Council [editor's note: and they got covered on the Sydney Morning Herald Blog]
UNITED STATES
 Denver - Tibetans
and students at the Univeristy of Colorado staged a phone-in and fax-in
to the Google Denver Sales Office. The phone calls went something like
this: Hi, I am a Google user and I am very dissapointed to learn about
Google and China. I just want to let you know that me and my friends
will not be using google anymore, thank you. OR Hi, my company would like to advertise and am looking for some info about that, So then the receptionist transfers you to the
sale person and he/she goes..yes how can i help you. Our Response : yes
we would like to advertise with google..our message is BoyCott Google
today..they go WHAT.....Yes Boycott Google They are evil...(response
for the other side)...ringtone...They Hang Up. We win!!!! Most of the
time they would respond by saying, Alright we will give the message to
our bosses at the corporate headquaters. - Tenzing Jigme, Colorado Friends of Tibet
***Click here to read the news coverage in the University of Colorado's
 New York -
Several dozen Tibetans and supporters held a lunchtime protest in front
of the Google "Sales & Engineering Office in New York - just steps
away from Times Square. The demonstration was at various times
theatrical, playful, and serious. Exactly 1000 flyers were distributed
to lunchtime crowds by jilted Google users wearing colorful life-size
candy hearts with messages like "NO LUV," "SELL OUT," and "U R DUMPED."
A stereo cranked out cheesy break-up songs to the delight of some and
chagrin of others; Journey was a big
favorite and Chicago (Hard Habit To Break), Bon Jovi (You Give Love A
Bad Name) and Soft Cell (Tainted Love) rounded out the mix. We also set
up a "dinner date scene" with a table (white table cloth and red rose
in a wine bottle) where jilted ex-Google users could sit down across
from "Google" (a guy in suit and tie with a Google sign around his neck
- that would be me) and let him/me have a piece of their minds. I (uh,
I mean Google) got broken up with and harshly told off about a dozen
times.  Ouch.
Everyone at the demonstration plus quite a number of supportive
passers-by also signed a broken-hearted anti-Valentine's card for
Google. We tried to deliver the card and a few different people had
conversations with Google reception and various employees upstairs.
None would come see us ;-( After a stand off with security and the
arrival of police, we decided to courier the giant card to them. Maybe
we'll add some wilted flowers and a bad mix-tape. - Han Shan, SFT HQ, NYC
***Click here to watch a video of the New York protest on the SFT blog!
 Mountain View, California-
It's about 4 pm outside the Google corporate headquarters here in
Mountain View, CA and we've got about 35-40 people out in the sunshine.
Black Eyed Peas' "Where is the Love?" is blasting out of the speakers
right now as the screamers and shouters take a breather in the grass.
Several news and media outlets came by and interviewed SFTers Dhela of
UC Davis, Thupten, Gunn student Iliana, and myself. Bay area dance
teacher Tsering perfo rmed
a dramatic Tibetan opera dance in the street earlier while the cameras
rolled. Cars have been honking and people have been waving arms in
solidarity as they pass our line of banners and signs. One of my
favorite signs reads, "Violets are blue, Roses are red, I caught Google
and China IN BED!" ...great poetry guys! Everyone's been coming up with
new slogans and refining the old ones, throwing in some old classics
like "No justice, No peace"...I hear Jen taunting the black shiny walls
of Google across the street in her sing song voice. And now, adding to
the bittersweet atmosphere of our break up with Google, is Avi, the
"evil cupid". He's just ascended the hillside behind us, clad in red
tight s
and fairy wings...Thupten's putting the finishing touches on his
makeup, and here he comes, bow and arrow in hand, to help us spread the
disappointment and fury with Google!! We have a great group of
energetic girls, especially Dhela, leading the shouts and getting
everyone revved up. Time to deliver our Valentine personally to the
Google offices now... - report from Thupten, SFT Special Agent
***Click here to watch a video of the Google HQ protest on the SFT blog
 Boston - The Boston protest outside the Boston Google Sales
Office went well! We had cool signs and we passed out a bunch of flye rs
right outside the office building. A lot of people going into the
building took flyers and some were supportive of the protest saying
"I'm glad you guys are doing this." - Dechen Lhewa, SFT Boston
 Seattle - SFT members from the University of
Washington and University of Puget Sound teamed up with the Tibetan
Association of Washington to publicly break up with Google outside
their office in downtown Seattle. Carrying No Love For Google placards
and handing out leaflets, they loudly proclaimed the relationship over!
***Click here to read the news coverage in the University of Washington's The Daily
Burlington - University of Vermont SFT staged a public break-up with Google today. The handed out information about the boycott and encouraged students to find new search engine partners.
ITALY
 Milan - Tibetans
and members of the Italia-Tibet Association protested on Valentine's
Day at the Google office in Milan. Everyone was in a great mood as the protesters marched t owards
the office with loud speakers and colourful banners, handing out flier
along the way. Speakers explained to the crowd why the boycott was  taking
place and then some young Tibetans approached the office and demanded
to see the manager. The following is an exerpt of the conversation with
the manager: The Director of the google office Mr Stefano, invited
us into the office and we had all the opportunities to convince him and
open up infront his eyes the situations Tibetans are facing in Tibet.
Mr Stefano said in response to our call “ I understand the problems
ongoing in Tibet and China,we are only starting our operations in China
and obviously we have to respect the laws of the very nation however,
we will be trying discussing this issue in great detail and there will
be a google conference next year in the United states, I will be
bringing up the case to them. good luck” He even left us his e-mail
address to contact him from time to time on the developments. - Gelek,
SFT Italy
SWITZERLAND
 Zurich - The
protest was a great sucess there is no way Google could have avoided
all the red heart shaped ballons. Many protestors wore bandanas with
the Google logo over their mouths to symbolize Google's change of heart
to ward freedom of information and expression. The public dumping was
covered by National Swish Television and several newpapers. Members of
SFT Switzerland and Tibetan Youth Association in Europe were allowed to
deliver "break-up" letters to the Google office.
CANADA
 Toronto - FILED: People of Conscience vs. Google Inc. Tibetans and their supporters wearing life sized No Love for Google Valentine's filed for divorce today with the internet
behemoth Google, accusing the latter of emotional abuse following its
affair with the Chinese Government. A table set up outside of the
Google office in Toronto provided "Fast Track" Divorce certificates and
while not pretty, the breakup was clean. Many supporters of those
courageous divorcees were vocal in their denunciation of Google. Others
were bound  and gagged with Google handkerchiefs to paint a poignant
picture of the censorship and emotional turmoil caused by the actions
of this internet titan. The protest was organized by TWA Ontario, RTYC, CTAO, CTC Toronto and SFT Toronto
SWEDEN
 Stockholm - The
evening rally and vigil at the Google Stockholm office was well
attended and speakers included Amnesty International and an MP with the
Swedish Soci alist party.
Protests also took place at the following Google offices. Reports and photos coming soon...
Dallas Sales Office
III Lincoln Center, 5430 LBJ Freeway
Protest contact: Ariel Weaver
arielchoetso@icerocket.com, (918) 406 3618
Chicago Sales Office
20 West Kinzie St.
Chicago, IL 60610
Bangalore Research & Development Center
Prestige Sigma, No. 3, 1st Floor, Vittal Mallya Road (Grant Road)
Corporation Division No. 61
Protest contact: Tenzin Legden (SFT Bangalore) and Jamchup (RTYC Bangalore)
Tenzin: (98)86048214
Jamchup: (98)86344125
Tashi: (98)40557394
Manchester Sales Office
Peter House
Oxford Street
Manchester M1 5AN
phone: +44-0161-209-3535
fax: +44-0161-209-3536
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