Made in 2009, this arpillera depicts the “Free Tibet” protest in London in 2008 when the Olympic torch was carried through the city on its way to Beijing. The demonstrators, displaying their placards against Chinese oppression in Tibet and waving Tibetan flags, were kept behind barriers, closely guarded by Chinese security personnel and British police.
Linda, who took part in the protest with her daughter, was amazed at the repression of peaceful protesters trying to raise awareness of and denounce repression elsewhere. She describes the response of those guarding the flame: “…anything in the way was violently pushed to one side… The violence was sickening….”
Seeing this event portrayed as an insignificant news item prompted Linda to create this arpillera: “I was eager to make the arpillera to add my voice to the protests, to say ‘This is what I saw’.”
Revisiting this piece 10 years later, in April 2019, prompted Linda to reflect deeply on this protest and the overall context. Mirroring the style of the early Chilean arpilleristas, she has recorded her thoughts in a written message, concealed in a small pocket on the reverse side of the arpillera. | 
