[SDorothy28]

I could not disagree with you more. The simple act of providing that level of intimadatory protection for what was and is a blatant propaganda tool for the Chinese government is in and of itself an aggressive act. The inclusion and protection of, by the Met, the Chinese government's own thugs in the farce was simply disgraceful.

I can't see how the ITV camera man being twice thrown to the floor by the filth and once kicked in the teeth and once cracked over the head requiring stiches by them simply for doing his job peacefully can be excused, nor the young Tibetan woman pinned against the wall by a police baton to the throat in front of her little boy or the British museum curator whilst brought under control by four police officers was then repeatedly kidney punched by a fourth until he hit the deck where he could more conveniently be kicked by them was in any way not violent? I guess some people see what they want to see.

The message the Met is sending our here is exactly the same as the Chinese send out in China and in Tibet; don't even think of protesting against the state (and make no mistake this WAS a state event) - we will swamp you with our presence and overwhelm you with force of numbers. If we can get a few kicks, elbows and sly punches in then that's just the a bonus. Britain in the new millenium

Still - on the positive side the Met created, in front of the entire world a comical farce deeply embarressing themselves, the government, the Chinese, the Olympic movement and the country. Result!

As I write the same thing is occuring in Paris.