In Pictures: Enes Kanter Freedom Meets the Tibetan Community

On Saturday 9 April 2022, former NBA basketball star Enes Kanter Freedom met with the Tibetan Community in Britain in a small event at the Tibetan Peace Garden in London. Tibetan community speakers expressed their thanks to Enes for his commitment to stand up for Tibetans around the world and his outspoken defiance of the Chinese Communist Party’s colonisation of Tibet and East Turkestan.

Enes Kanter Freedom arrived at the Tibetan Peace Garden in London at 9am on Saturday to meet with Tibetan community members.

Enes’ arrival was met with joy and jubilation from the Tibetan community, who presented him with khata – traditional white silk scarves given as a gift to visitors as a sign of welcome.

Community members of all ages presented Enes Kanter Freedom with white scarves as a symbol of welcome and gratitude.

Speaking to the Tibetan community, Enes Kanter Freedom implored them to continue their fight for freedom in peace, and to never give up hope. He expressed his love for the Tibetan people and culture, sharing personal anecdotes of his past work with community members around the world and his meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Enes promised the Tibetan community that when Tibet is finally free from occupation, he will join them for momos – traditional Tibetan dumplings – in celebration.

Representatives from the community stood with Enes in front of the Tibetan flag, expressing their thanks for his allyship and support. The atmosphere remained light and casual as members shared jokes and stories with the accomplished basketball player and activist.

Tibetan community members and representatives laughed with Enes as they shared jokes and stories.

Free Tibet and the Tibetan Community in Britain presented Enes with gifts to thank him for coming and for his hard work in standing up for Tibetans – though we may not have judged his T-Shirt size correctly!

Sorry for gifting you the wrong size T-shirt, Enes!

As well as representatives from across the Tibetan movement, Rahima Mahmut from World Uyghur Congress also spoke about the work Enes has done for the Uyghur movement. Bringing a Tibetan cultural flair to the event, Tibetan community members performed some Tibetan opera, music, and dance, in traditional Tibetan attire.

The event was steeped in Tibetan culture, with performances of dancing, music, opera, and traditional Tibetan clothing.

The whole event was a fun experience for all attending, and a fantastic opportunity for the community to meet with a committed celebrity supporter. We hope that Enes will visit the UK again, we will be ready to welcome him with open arms!

Tibetan community members had the opportunity to pose for group photos with the basketball star before he had to leave for his next flight.