BUTLER TWP - Tibetan bicyclists looking to draw attention to the political situation in their country gave a presentation Monday night at the New Technology Building at Butler County Community College.

The presentation included a 30-minute video about contemporary Tibet, followed by a question and answer session.

"The audio/visual show demonstrates what has happened so far and what's at risk," said Douglas Herman, a photographer for the group. "We also talk about the specifics of our current movement."

T. Lyle Ferderber hosted the riders in his Connoquenessing home for two days on their trip to Canada.

"I saw that they were going straight up Route 8 and knew we could help out," Ferderber said.

Ten Tibetan bicyclists plus two riders from Canada arrived in Butler Sunday night. The presentation at BC3 Monday evening was part of their "Peace Ride for Tibet's Independence," which began April 10.

Herman said three other protesters are on their 19th day of a hunger strike in New York City in an effort to get the United Nations to help Tibet.

At

least two other groups of monks are on their way to Canada.

The riders left Butler early today as they resumed their 604-mile trek to Toronto where they will meet with the Dalai Lama on Saturday.

Herman, who has ridden with the group through the first 19 days of the trip, said the bicyclists are halfway through their journey.

So far they have ridden through rain, sleet, hail, snow and most recently, nearly 90-degree temperatures.

Herman said. "They just put on their rain gear and got on their bikes. We have gone 300 miles and more than half of it has been in inclement weather."

He said the riders will go 75 miles today as they make their way to Oil City, then head east on Route 62 and eventually the New York state line.

The cyclists left Washington, D.C. on April 10 after a demonstration at the Chinese Embassy.

Larry Gerstein, president of the International Tibet Independence Movement, said the cyclists are riding to Toronto to help educate people about Tibet's effort to achieve independence from China.

The group is also trying to stop a railroad and pipeline being built in Tibet by the Chinese government, to advocate for democracy in China and to achieve independence for Eastern Turkestan, Southern Mongolia and Taiwan.

Herman said the group was warned it might run into some resistance in Western Pennsylvania due to the number of office jobs that have been outsourced to India. But it turned out the people in this region are supportive.

"Everyone seemed compelled to help us out," Herman said. "They offered food and water and a lot of support."