Seven Americans and one Japanese national were taken away by Beijing police on Wednesday noon for fomenting "Tibet independence" at a park, police said.

At around 12:20, the eight people were gathering at the China Ethnic Culture Park in the northern part of urban Beijing, waving flags symbolizing "Tibet independence" and shouting slogans supporting "Tibet independence".

Police also said the eight entered China on tourist visas. The Beijing police was considering cutting their stay period in China and asking them to leave China.

(Xinhua News Agency August 13, 2008)