Scuffles mar Olympic torch relay (London)

[Eugene]

Source: BBC News

Page last updated at 12:22 GMT, Sunday, 6 April 2008 13:22 UK

Scuffles mar Olympic torch relay

Fifteen arrests have been made as clashes between
pro-Tibet protesters and police marred the Olympic
torch parade on its 31-mile London journey.

Protests over China's human rights record began
soon after rower Sir Steve Redgrave began the
parade at Wembley.

Demonstrators tried to snatch the torch from
ex-Blue Peter host Konnie Huq.

And after an unpublicised change to the route,
the Chinese ambassador carried the torch through
Chinatown, amid fears her presence could be a
flashpoint.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7332942.stm

[DRoseDARs]

1. Jesus Christ, knock that shit off you assholes! Find the side of the road on the relay route and...

...protest there. I for one won't be watching the Olympics in protest (and I love the track and field events, so this sucks that I've decided not to watch), but you won't see me harassing relay runners or athletes. Leave them out of the politics. Focus on the politicians and the sponsors.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Few of the torch carriers are actually athletes

As well as some athletes there are TV presenters, actors, and the Chinese ambassador - it's a publicity stunt, and really, it's part of the politics (why else take the torch into Downing Street?). After all, the idea of a torch relay dates from the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The politicians stayed for their photo-op with the torch in Downing Street, of course, which has gates and where all the members of the public allowed in can be carefully searched beforehand. The Chinese ambassador swapped the section she'd do to inside London's Chinatown district, where the crowd would be less hostile.

Some of the carriers are chosen by the sponsors:

But Sir Steve Redgrave, invited by Samsung, said protest groups "have the opportunity to make their political points because of the Games going to Beijing. If we all pulled out now, they would not have that chance".

Denise Van Outen, invited by Coca-Cola, said: "I have nothing to say. You will have to talk to my agent."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=557506&in_page_id=1770

[ananda]

2. I actually saw tv footage of the protests on cable news.

Go figure.

It was nice to see so many Brits out there
protesting the running of the torch.