Indian police said they detained nearly two dozen Tibetan exiles from outside the Chinese Embassy in the Indian capital, where they protested on the eve of the anniversary of the failed uprising that sent the Dalai Lama into exile in India.

Chanting "Tibet belongs to Tibet" and "Free Tibet," the protesters on Tuesday rushed toward the Chinese Embassy gate but were blocked by Indian police officers who put them in a van and drove to a nearby police station in New Delhi.

One Tibetan protester chained himself to a pole outside the Chinese embassy. He was among those detained by police.

The protest was organized by the Tibetan Youth Congress, the Reuters said.

Two years ago, in a protest led by Buddhist priests, 19 people died according to Chinese sources. Alternative sources said the death toll was 200.

China occupied Tibet in 1950-1951 and continues to rule the region.

The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has lived in northern Indian town of Dharmsala since fleeing Tibet following the failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule.