On March 12, 1959, thousands of Tibetan women marched through Lhasa to DalaiLama's Potala Palace, demanding Tibetan independence.

March 10, 1959 is considered the day of national mourning.On the same day, on the anniversary of the uprising, there were massive Riots in Tibet. The unrest, timed to this date, is repeated annually, and the PRC authorities close Tibet for foreign tourists.
March were mostly women bc many men had been arrested, injured or killed in previous days of protests.

The uprising provoked rumors about the kidnapping of the 14th Dalai Lama, which was being prepared by the Chinese authorities. The rebels were about to join the Tibetan guerrillas, which by that time had seized large territories in southern and central Tibet. The insurgents elected the National Assembly (Tsongdu), which included about 300 people, and distributed their troops to strategic positions in Lhasa.