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"The Chinese security and cops were on me like white on rice"
Quote:
"Avoid, rather than check. Check, rather than hurt. Hurt, rather than maim. Maim, rather than kill. For all life is precious, nor can any be replaced."~ Master Kan
BTW - I thought the jogger's qoute was kinda funny.
Quote:
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Olympic torch's chaotic visit to U.S. ends without formal farewell
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Olympic torch played hide and seek with thousands of demonstrators and spectators crowding the city's waterfront Wednesday before being spirited away without even a formal goodbye on its symbolic stop in the United States.
After its parade was rerouted and shortened to prevent disruptions by massive crowds of anti-China protesters, the planned closing ceremony at the waterfront was canceled and moved to San Francisco International Airport. The flame was put directly on a plane and was not displayed.
The last-minute changes to the route and the site of the closing ceremony were made amid security concerns following chaotic protests in London and Paris of China's human rights record in Tibet and elsewhere, but they effectively prevented many spectators who wanted to see the flame from witnessing the historic moment.
As it made its way through the streets of San Francisco, the flame traveled in switchbacks and left the crowds confused and waiting for a parade that never arrived. Protesters also hurriedly changed plans and chased the rerouted flame.
Mayor Gavin Newsom told The Associated Press that the well-choreographed switch of the site of the closing ceremony was prompted by the size and behavior of the crowds massing outside AT&T Park, where the opening ceremony took place.
There was "a disproportionate concentration of people in and around the start of the relay," he said in a phone interview while traveling in a caravan that accompanied the torch.
International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge expressed relief that the San Francisco relay avoided the turmoil at previous events.
"Fortunately, the situation was better ... in San Francisco," Rogge said at an Olympic meeting in Beijing. "It was, however, not the joyous party that we had wished it to be."
Less than an hour before the relay began, officials cut the original six-mile route nearly in half.
Then, at the opening ceremony, the first torchbearer took the flame from a lantern brought to the stage and held it aloft before running into a waterfront warehouse. A motorcycle escort departed, but the torchbearer was nowhere in sight.
Officials drove the Olympic torch about a mile inland and handed it off to two runners away from protesters and media, and they began jogging toward the Golden Gate Bridge, in the opposite direction of the crowds waiting for it. More confusion followed, with the torch convoy apparently stopped near the bridge before heading southward to the airport.
The plane carrying the torch took off from San Francisco International Airport at 9:05 p.m. PDT Thursday, said airport duty manager Abubaker Azam.
As the flame traveled toward the airport, news dribbled through the crowds of more than 10,000 spectators and protesters gathered at the waterfront that the torch wasn't coming there.
Spectator Dave Dummer said he was disappointed.
"That upsets me," Dummer said. "My back hurts from standing around on this lumpy sidewalk. ... This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and other people messed it up by protesting."
Chinese state media declared the event a success, praising the last-minute route changes as a clever strategy for thwarting "Tibetan separatists."
The activists "ran into a brick wall in San Francisco," the Global Times newspaper, published by the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily, said on its Web site. It called the changes a "brilliant idea."
"Today's relay was full of suspense and drama ... the whole story was like a Hollywood movie," China News Service said, though it also called the San Francisco leg a "harmonious journey."
Jiang Xiayou, executive vice president of the Beijing Olympic torch relay committee, thanked San Francisco.
"Perhaps some of them failed to see the sacred flame today," Jiang said, speaking through a translator at the closing ceremony. "But we all have felt the passion of the Olympic movement."
There were signs of tension even before the torch relay began. Pro-Tibet and pro-China groups were given side-by-side permits to demonstrate, and representatives from both sides spilled from their sanctioned sites across a major street and shouted at each other nose to nose, with no visible police presence to separate them.
Farther along the planned route, about 200 Chinese college students mobbed a car carrying two people waving Tibetan flags in front of the city's Pier 39 tourist destination.
The students, who arrived by bus from the University of California, Davis, banged drums and chanted "Go Olympics" in Chinese.
"I'm proud to be Chinese and I'm outraged because there are so many people who are so ignorant they don't know Tibet is part of China," Yi Che said. "It was and is and will forever be part of China."
The torch's 85,000-mile, 20-nation global journey is the longest in Olympic history, and is meant to build excitement for the Beijing Games. But it has also been targeted by activists angered over China's human rights record.
Hundreds of pro-China and pro-Tibet demonstrators blew whistles and waved flags as they faced off near the site of the relay's opening ceremony. Police struggled to keep the groups apart.
At least two protesters were cited for interfering with officers, but no arrests were made, according to police spokesman Sgt. Neville Gittens. Officers blocked public access to bridge leading to the ceremony site across McCovey Cove from the ballpark.
One of the runners who planned to carry the torch dropped out earlier this week because of safety concerns, officials said. The torchbearers competed with people not only protesting China's grip on Tibet, but its human rights record and support for the governments of Myanmar and Sudan.
Local officials say they support the diversity of viewpoints, but tightened security following chaotic protests during the torch's stops in London and Paris and a demonstration Monday in which activists hung banners from the Golden Gate bridge.
Vans were deployed to haul away arrested protesters, and the FAA restricted flights over the city to media helicopters, medical emergency carriers and law enforcement aircraft. Law enforcement agencies erected metal barricades and readied running shoes, bicycles and motorcycles for officers preparing to shadow the runners.
Peter Ueberroth, chairman of the United States Olympic Committee, said the U.S. had struck the right balance between preserving freedom of speech for protesters, providing an exhilarating experience for the torchbearers, and preventing a repeat of the chaotic demonstrations that accompanied the torch in London and Paris.
"As close as anybody can do in a free society, so far its looking very good," Ueberroth said. "Virtually anybody and everybody is being heard."
The Olympic flame began its worldwide trek from Ancient Olympia in Greece to Beijing on March 24, and was the focus of protests right from the start.
Torchbearers in other cities have complained of aggressive behavior by paramilitary police in blue track suits sent by Beijing to guard the Olympic flame.
Although there were no major problems reported in California, they did make their presence felt.
At least one torchbearer decided to show her support for Tibetan independence during her moment in the spotlight.
After being passed the Olympic flame, Majora Carter pulled out a small Tibetan flag that she had hidden in her shirt sleeve.
"The Chinese security and cops were on me like white on rice, it was no joke," said Carter, 41, who runs a nonprofit organization in New York. "They pulled me out of the race, and then San Francisco police officers pushed me back into the crowd on the side of the street."
San Francisco was chosen to host the relay in part because of its large Chinese-American population.
In Beijing, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge met with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday to discuss preparations for the games, and "a range of games topics were discussed," the IOC said.
Rogge is to give more details at a news conference Friday, when the IOC's executive board is to discuss Friday whether to end the remaining international legs of the relay after San Francisco because of widespread protest.
The torch is scheduled to travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and then to a dozen other countries before arriving in China on May 4. The Olympics begin Aug. 8.
Rogge has refrained from criticizing China, saying he prefers to engage in "silent diplomacy" with the Chinese.
In an interview broadcast Wednesday on the VRT television network in his native Belgium, Rogge warned that pushing China too hard on Tibet and human rights would be counterproductive.
"If you know China, you know that mounting the barricades and using tough language will have the opposite effect," he said. "China will close itself off from the rest of the world, which, don't forget it, it has done for some 2,000 years."
Meanwhile Wednesday, the White House said anew that President Bush would attend the Olympics, but left open the possibility that he would skip the opening ceremonies. Asked whether Bush would go to that portion of the games, White House press secretary Dana Perino demurred, citing the fluid nature of a foreign trip schedule this far out and the many factors that go into devising it.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the British leader will not attend the opening ceremony. Brown's office said the decision was not aimed at sending a message of protest to the Chinese government, that Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell will represent the British government at the opening, and that Brown would attend the closing ceremony.
London is hosting the 2012 Olympics and British officials were expected to attend events throughout the games.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said he is debating not attending the opening ceremony as a protest of China's crackdown in Tibet.
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Rogge has refrained from criticizing China, saying he prefers to engage in "silent diplomacy" with the Chinese.
wtf is 'silent diplomacy'?
Good for the protesters. I was half-tempted to go to SF and protest. Even if the Olympics goes off as planned, I hope the world will take the opportunity to let China know it can't bully EVERYONE into silent appeasement.
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oderint dum metuant (Latin for 'let them hate, so long as they fear').
Well, in truth I'm actually not a total hawk, but I'm not a dove either -- I'm more like an angry pigeon flying over the political arena after a really big meal. -Abba Gav
Have to disagree? I support anyone's right to protest but at some point you have to separate the people of China from the government of China. And I don't think this was an appropriate forum to hijack.
The torch was supposed to run by my office and I would have like to have seen it (like many people in the crowd along the Embarcadero). My wife and kids were supposed to volunteer at a hospitality tent that got canceled and it would have been a great experience for the kids. The Chinese community has every right to show some pride in their country whether or not we agree with their politics. Like myself, many people were looking forward to being part of the Olympic experience and would be willing to look past the politics for a moment. However, most of these protestors were probably just protesting because "Free Tibet" looks good on a T-Shirt. Most of them could probably not find Tibet on a map or know what the 17 Point Agreement was.
Further, why don't we protest what we don't like about our own government with such fervor. I am sure there are several issues at home we should be as appalled by as the situation in Tibet. I was disappointed in the turnout for the anti-war protests on the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War . At least our government should listen if its citizens take it to the streets...I'm not so sure China cares if a flag is unfurled on the Golden Gate.
That seems pretty frickin' narrow on your part, Giz. People are being slaughtered and mauled in Tibet and you're unhappy cuz you couldn't see the parade? Oooooooooookkkkkkkaaaaaaayyyyyyyy......
"Regular" US citizens NEED to have the kind of furor for issues that they strongly believe in. Our constitution provides for it and occasionally we get to see it. But it seems to have been lost is some apathy and hopelessness.
Good on these people for their protest. It gives at least some modicum of notice to the media that some people are outraged.
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Here's to the Army and Navy and the battles they have won; here's to America's colors, the colors that never run. May the wings of liberty never lose a feather. ....
That seems pretty frickin' narrow on your part, Giz. People are being slaughtered and mauled in Tibet and you're unhappy cuz you couldn't see the parade? Oooooooooookkkkkkkaaaaaaayyyyyyyy......
"Regular" US citizens NEED to have the kind of furor for issues that they strongly believe in. Our constitution provides for it and occasionally we get to see it. But it seems to have been lost is some apathy and hopelessness.
Good on these people for their protest. It gives at least some modicum of notice to the media that some people are outraged.
Oh is it. Is Tibet any closer to autonomy because a few thousand people decided it was more important to disrupt the torch relay than the tens of thousands who wanted to enjoy the spectacle?
I don't think you would find too many people in the crowd who support many of the Chinese government policies, myself included. However, most people can make the distinction between the Olympics and the government of China. I don't think it was an appropriate forum to have a Free Tibet protest to the scale that it caused concern for the safety of those involved.
Resistance to the Viet Nam war began with small numbers and ultimately turned the tide!!!! this was a peaceful demonstration! It got media!!! CHECK OUT THE FIRST AMENDMENT!!!!
Yep.... pretty friggin' narrow, dude....
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Here's to the Army and Navy and the battles they have won; here's to America's colors, the colors that never run. May the wings of liberty never lose a feather. ....
Resistance to the Viet Nam war began with small numbers and ultimately turned the tide!!!! this was a peaceful demonstration! It got media!!! CHECK OUT THE FIRST AMENDMENT!!!!
Yep.... pretty friggin' narrow, dude....
I would be OK with it if it was a peaceful demonstration...but it was not. The experiences in London and Paris and the threats before the demonstration pretty much guaranteed that at least a few idiots would do something stupid (try to extinguish the torch) and turn a non-political event enjoyed by a wide demographic into a volatile situation.
If anything, the experience in SF turned more people against the Free Tibet movement than garnered support. Wrong event and wrong level of protesting for a cause that is pretty minor on a global scale. The Dalai Lama is a figurehead that seems like a good cause to get behind and has become a cause celebre...but the fact is he was oversaw a feudal system that still wants to be part of China (just not governed by it) and he was getting support from the CIA and India to fund a revolt. How would the US government treat a governor who received support from Al Qaeda to fund a revolt? Exile in India?
Last edited by Gizmo Williams; April 11th, 2008 at 09:46 AM.
I would be OK with it if it was a peaceful demonstration...but it was not. The experiences in London and Paris and the threats before the demonstration pretty much guaranteed that at least a few idiots would do something stupid (try to extinguish the torch) and turn a non-political event enjoyed by a wide demographic into a volatile situation.
If anything, the experience is SF turned more people against the Free Tibet movement than garnered support. Wrong event and wrong level of protesting for a cause that is pretty minor on a global scale. The Dalai Lama is a figurehead that seems like a good cause to get behind and has become a cause celebre...but the fact is he was oversaw a feudal system that still wants to be part of China (just not governed by it) and he was getting support from the CIA and India to fund a revolt. How would the US government treat a governor who received support from Al Qaeda to fund a revolt? Exile in India?
My problem with this is I have no idea how many of the protestors actually give a damn about Tibet since San Francisco is full of "professional" protesters who go from one to another. Right now they're ripping the mayor for moving the event unannounced saying many people couldn't see the torch and that it was impossible for him to have done that at the last minute so he's lying when he says that.
I think they're angry because by moving it, it defused some of the protests.
In the end the Olympics is about sport not politics, I deplore the human rights violations in China and Tibet but go picket the Chinese embassy or go find any of a hundred companies in the Bay area who are owned and operated by people who support the Chinese government and protest them.
People are actually now calling for a US boycott of the Olympics, did we learn nothing from the last boycott? One of the stories I will never forget from that was US sprinter Houston McTear, one of the favorites for the gold in the 100 meters that year. In the prior Olympics he had been injured in the Olympic Trials and unable to compete but he was in the top 3 in the world at this time and primed for a medal. The US boycotted and he didn't get to go, 4 years later he was injured and past his prime and he'd missed his window to get a medal, to get endorsements etc. He wound up homeless hooked on drugs living in a park I remember reading a story about somebody finding him there and finding out who he was and he openly said the boycott essentially killed his career.
I just don't think the Olympics should be about politics.
Last time I checked the First Amendment does not give a person the right to trespass, intimidate or assault. CHECK OUT THE CRIMINAL CODES!!!!!
It was great to see so many people out there expressing their views....but the fact is that some protestors showed intent to do more than merely exercise free speech at an event that was widely attended by many who wanted to take part in the Olympics.
Last time I checked the First Amendment does not give a person the right to trespass, intimidate or assault. CHECK OUT THE CRIMINAL CODES!!!!!
It was great to see so many people out there expressing their views....but the fact is that some protestors showed intent to do more than merely exercise free speech at an event that was widely attended by many who wanted to take part in the Olympics.
Yeah..... and keep people from seeing the parade, too!!!
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Here's to the Army and Navy and the battles they have won; here's to America's colors, the colors that never run. May the wings of liberty never lose a feather. ....
How's this -- the torch relay was created by the Nazis in 1936 as a way to link the glory of ancient Greece to the Aryan nation.
Chinese 'security personnel' have turned up at every race and intruded on the relay repeatedly. The presence of the host country's security people itself is not that unusual, but they have never interfered with local security or the actual runners before. They yell at runners to go faster, to raise their arms higher, they have pushed and harassed some runners, as well as being rough on legal protesters. The British demanded to know 'How they got into the country and in the middle of this?" The Japanese have said they will not permit entry to Chinese security personnel when the torch passes through Japan.
According to an Olympic games historian, these problems only occur when totalitarian states are allowed to host the Olympics, because they invariably exert their totalitarianism on the participants at all levels, which is against the Olympic spirit, and he actually is fine with the protests. He said these games are one huge photo-op for the Chinese government to show its own people it has taken a dominant role on the world stage and has nothing to do with the spirit of sportsmanship. (Like any of the recent games did.)
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oderint dum metuant (Latin for 'let them hate, so long as they fear').
Well, in truth I'm actually not a total hawk, but I'm not a dove either -- I'm more like an angry pigeon flying over the political arena after a really big meal. -Abba Gav
Last edited by AZZenny; April 11th, 2008 at 12:33 PM.
How's this -- the torch relay was created by the Nazis in 1936 as a way to link the glory of ancient Greece to the Aryan nation.
Chinese 'security personnel' have turned up at every race and intruded on .)
Apparently true I googled it. That said, Hitler also invented the volkswagen and I'm betting at least a few hundred of those protesters arrived in VW buses ?
I seriously doubt the organizers of todays Olympics view the Olympic torch ceremony as having any connection to Nazi Germany the meanings of things change over time.
Plenty of reasons to protest China I just don't agree an Olympic event is the appropriate venue and the size of crowds at these things makes it an immediate security risk.
How's this -- the torch relay was created by the Nazis in 1936 as a way to link the glory of ancient Greece to the Aryan nation.
Thats very interesting and very hypoccritical on Hitlers part. Considering Greeks for the most part hardly come close to the blonde haired blue eyed race he preached at the time.
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“They said the road comes through Seattle. We came through here and took care of business.” Anquan Boldin
"Avoid, rather than check. Check, rather than hurt. Hurt, rather than maim. Maim, rather than kill. For all life is precious, nor can any be replaced." ~ Master Kan
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