Empire State Building's China Tribute Draws Protests

The Empire State Building was dressed up in yellow and red lights Wednesday night in honor of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Communist China. But that has many critics simply seeing red.

Tibetans and their supporters gathered outside the iconic tower all day to protest what they call the celebration of oppressive regime with a poor human rights record.

"It's a disgrace that the Empire State Building is giving this honor to the Chinese Communist Party, a regime directly responsible for the deaths of at least 30 million people in Tibet, East Turkestan and China," said Tenzin Dorjee, a Tibetan-American and deputy director of Students for a Free Tibet. "I think Americans will be outraged to see the most iconic building in the U.S. kowtowing before the totalitarian Chinese state."

Inside, Chinese Consul General Peng Keyu pulled the switch on a glass-encased model to symbolically turn on the lights. He said he was "honored and delighted" and that China's reforms in the last 30 years have led to greater openness and "tremendous change."

A spokeswoman for the building said in a statement that the building celebrates many world cultures with its lights.