Shocking indeed. The monks robes dressing the statue were unduly desecrated, while, as Pabongkha Rinpoche remembers, even a saffron-colored rag should be respected as the Sangha Jewel. The same applies to the Gelugpa hat, which symbolizes Manjushri's wisdom. While the revolt of the populace against the evil criminal is understandable, the symbols of the Three Jewels of Refuge should be scrupulously respected. Otherwise, what is most important is that the evil dalie is placed where he belongs, the garbage bin of history.
I don't agree with throwing statues into a river to express the anger or unhappiness. There are many ways to express how we feel but not this way. It is disrespectful to the statue or to the people who still respect the Dalai Lama.
However, this shows how unhappy the Tibetans are with the Dalai Lama. Maybe this group of people is not supporting the free Tibet movement, but they are angry at how the Dalai Lama is creating tension and conflicts in the Tibetan community. They probably have realised the Tibetans are being used by the Dalai Lama and the CTA to get things for themselves, i.e., money.
Like many have said, it is very unusual for Tibetans to do something so disrespectful to the Dalai Lama, no one would dare to do that. For the Tibetans to do that, they must be very angry. What will happen if the Dalai Lama really goes back to Tibet? Will these people welcome him?