( CNN ) -- Three protesters scaled the Golden Gate Bridge Monday and unfurled a `` Free Tibet '' banner , a likely precursor to large protests when the Olympic torch arrives Wednesday in San Francisco , California . Members of Students for a Free Tibet climbed the bridge to place these banners , said the group 's spokesman . The banner read , `` One World . One Dream . Free Tibet . '' Those who climbed cables from which the bridge is suspended are members of Students for a Free Tibet , said group spokesman Tenzin Dasang . The three were arrested along with four others at the site . All seven were charged with felony conspiracy and misdemeanor nuisance , said California Highway Patrol Officer Mary Ziegenbein . The climbers also were charged with misdemeanor trespassing . Watch protesters and banner hung from bridge » . The incident forced the closure of one northbound lane of the bridge . The climbers -- who were on the bridge for about three hours -- came down voluntarily about 1:15 p.m. ( 4:15 p.m . ET ) after workers with the Golden Gate Bridge District began cutting down their banner , Ziegenbein said . Dasang said he has heard of many people planning to protest in San Francisco against China 's human rights record . `` We want it to be peaceful . But it will be large , '' said Dasang , 22 , during a phone interview in which he said he was near the bridge . `` I heard from Tibetans that now live all over the U.S. and even abroad who are coming here . '' The Olympic flame is on a 130-day journey that will take it through 23 cities on five continents and then throughout China , culminating at the Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing August 8 . The San Francisco protest comes the same day as a demonstration in Paris , France , disrupted the torch relay many times . In Paris , police had to cut the Olympic torch relay short Monday amid protests against China 's human rights record , French police said . The torch was scheduled to travel 17 miles , past Paris City Hall , but that stop and others were called off after the protests . The torch made it through about 10 miles of its scheduled journey . It was then driven by bus to its final destination , where it was displayed again during a public ceremony at a stadium . Authorities had to play hide-and-seek with the Olympic torch during much of the route , placing it on a bus at least twice during a sometimes chaotic relay route . China has come under international criticism because of its crackdown last month on protesters calling for democratic freedoms and self-rule in Tibet and neighboring Chinese provinces . Protesters have said more than 100 people have died in the crackdown , but Beijing denies that and has accused supporters of the Dalai Lama of orchestrating the violence . U.S. and other Western leaders have called on China to provide civil rights and freedoms to those in Tibet and to enter peaceful discussions aimed at resolving the crisis . E-mail to a friend .
Protesters arrested after hanging `` Free Tibet '' banner from bridge . The climbers come down voluntarily after three hours . Earlier in day , protests in Paris , France , cut short Olympic torch relay . China faces international criticism over crackdown on protests seeking Tibet self-rule .