Two pro-Tibet activists hung a banner in front of Chinese state television’s new headquarters early in Friday morning. The activists dropped the banner, which read “Free Tibet” in English and Chinese, over an Olympics billboard reading “Beijing 2008” at 5:45 am Beijing time.

Chinese security officials gathered quickly outside the China Central Television (CCTV) building, and after approximately 30 minutes, detained the five protestors. The activists’ whereabouts are currently unknown.

The activists that were detained are Australian-Canadian Nicole Rycroft, 41 and Briton Phil Kirk, 24, the two climbers, and support people Kelly Osborne, 39, Bianca Bockman, 27, Sam Maron, 22, all Americans.

“While the Chinese government has built a gleaming new building for its official mouthpiece and its public relations strategy has become more sophisticated, the propaganda it uses to maintain its iron-fisted control over Tibet remains the same,” said Lhadon Tethong, Executive Director of Students for a Free Tibet. “Tibet supporters took action at CCTV today to broadcast a message of truth about the intensifying military crackdown in Tibet and the Tibetan people’s undying resolve to regain their freedom.”