[Immampdah]

Let the games begin ...

Pro-Tibet protesters climb Golden Gate Bridge tower

San Francisco Chronicle
Jonathan Curiel, Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Staff Writers
April 7, 2008


Three people climb the suspension cables of the Golden Gate Bridge on
Monday, April 7, 2008, in a protest aimed at drawing attention to
Chinese human rights violations in Tibet.

(04-07) 13:12 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Three demonstrators scaled the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge today and unfurled a banner intended to draw attention to Chinese human rights violations in Tibet.

The protest by Students for a Free Tibet comes two days before the Olympic Torch makes its only North American stop in San Francisco before the games this summer in Beijing.

The protesters scaled the bridge tower around 10:30 a.m., carrying a banner reading, "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 08." They unfurled the banner - a play on the official slogan of this year's Olympic Games, "One World, One Dream" - at 11:20 a.m., facing the bay.

The activists rappelled down about 1 p.m. and were arrested by California Highway Patrol officers. They left the banner hanging on the tower. Iron workers will cut it down, said Mary Currie, a spokeswoman for the Golden Gate Bridge district.

Currie said police also detained another five activists who did not scale the bridge.

Authorities have cameras trained on the span at all times, but the three protesters scaled the tower quickly without bridge police immediately seeing them, Currie said.

Traffic is slow on the span in both directions and authorities blocked pedestrian access to the bridge, stranding tourists on either side of the span.

Wangbhen Lhamo, a Tibetan American who lives in San Francisco, said Students for a Free Tibet hopes to persuade the International Olympic Committee to keep the torch out of Tibet this summer. It is scheduled to pass through Tibet on June 19-21.

Lhamo said the group planned other protests Tuesday and Wednesday that she said would be peaceful. On Tuesday, there will be an alternative torch event, the celebration of the Tibetan Freedom Torch, beginning at 10 a.m. at United Nations Plaza in San Francisco.

A number of visitors who were prevented from crossing the bridge appeared to take the protest in stride. Cincinnati resident Jim Hayden, 62, who is visiting San Francisco for the first time, said he was well aware of the city's reputation for political activity.

"If they're going to do it, do it here," Hayden said. "These people have their point of view, and find very strange ways to express them."

© 2008 Hearst Communications Inc.

***

A series of four pictures captured by a KPIX-TV Webcam shows
protesters unfurling a banner on the Golden Gate Bridge on
Monday morning, April 7, 2008.
Webcam images via CBS5.com.

[intendepods]

STUDENTS FOR A FREE TIBET

LIVE! Tibet activists scale Golden Gate Bridge to protest China's torch relay

Check out footage on CNN!



Read the whole store on SFT's blog.

[iodigmaFemZem]

Torch protesters scale Golden Gate Bridge
VIDEO

SF Channel 7 KGO-TV

[rockboyzaza]

I've edited the thread title from "London Olympic Torch Protests" to "Olympic Torch Protests," to reflect the multinational character of the demonstrations.

[glamourcitys]

All hail China.

[Vapepreab]

With people like you, who needs evil governments.

Why dont you volunteer to defend the Sacred Right of the Peoples of The Great China to Bludgeon Protesters On the Head with Tracksuited Morons.

It would be Glorious!

I abhore China's human rights record. I was simply defending the job done by the British police. That said, just as 70 French police came to Britain for the Tour de France, China has a right to have 10 or so people guarding the torch.

[asharbiq]

^
What were the French police guarding - spare wheels?

[rvadipoldkov]

I knew SF wouldn't let me down.

[jenilopaz]

I don't know, I think it's just become the norm in recent years. You see it with international footballing events too. I'm sure we'll have British police when the torch has its relay in 2012.

[Izzy]

I could understand French police being utilized for their experience in handling a huge event like the Tour.

Not quite the same as a China security force playing at law enforcement in France.

[DurryVony]

China is simply acting on its belief that borders between countries mean little to nothing anymore.

Neither borders between China France.

Nor borders between China Tibet.

Just as in 2001 when the world declared "We are all New Yorkers" China hopes in 2008 that the world will say in unison "We are all Chinese"

[Penisvergroesserung]

Who actually 'owns' the torch?

[buyviagraonlineusatoday]

I presume the IOC?

[BPitt]

Who actually 'owns' the torch?

Is there an actual official torch - you know, like the Stanley Cup?

I think China "owns" or "runs" the torch relay.

The flame hasn't always been carried by runners. One rather dubious carrier was in the 1976 Olympics:
Remarkable means of transportation were used in 1976, when the flame was transformed to a radio signal. From Athens, this signal was carried by satellite to Canada, where it was received and used to trigger a laser beam to re-light the flame.

[Nwxffgke]

If china 'owns' it then they have the right to have security of their own around it. Noone would complain about the FIFA security being there if the World Cup was being paraded around.

[Infellgedq]

If China is indeed the owner of the Torch then the IOC has shot itself in the foot by giving the rights to control it to a country which has completely back-tracked on it's stated intent to be improve it's track on human rights -- which was central to China's shpiel when it bid for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

The Olympics are inherently political. The modern Olympic Games where seen as an alternative to aggression and war between countries. The Game's stated goal is peaceful interaction between nations.

But ALL nations should commit to that goal. And any and all nations should cease aggression of all types during the duration of the Games, or else be sent packing by the IOC.

But for that to happen the IOC would need to have some intregrity; of which there is little to no indication in recent memory.

[wp6Eg2Fm]

The irony that protesting Communist China's inhumanity directly expands the use of riot-clad head-cracking legions of storm-troopers in the streets of London, Paris, and San Francisco seems to be lost in the discussion here.

I predict we'll see new restrictions on the public placed on 'critical infrastructure' by Fatherland Security deriving from the stunt at the Golden Gate bridge [edit: correct prediction]. It is even conceivable that measures will be proposed calling for urban checkpoints to verify US citizenship, -- since most of these rabble-rousers are Chinese nationals or Tibetan exiles.

Indicative of the gulf between the public and the authoritarian enforcement apparat are these quotes:

Anger over China's actions in Tibet and the jailing on Thursday of dissident Hu Jia have been building in San Francisco, where the city's political leadership passed a symbolic resolution last week to greet the Olympic torch with "alarm and protest." A San Francisco Police Department spokesman said security for the relay would be noticeably tighter than previous appearances of the torch in the city in 1992 and 1996.

"I can confirm that we are taking additional and different security measures to those that we have used in for past torch runs in San Francisco," Sergeant Neville Gittens told AFP.

Although he would not reveal the numbers of police to be deployed on Wednesday, Gittens added: "We are going to have a lot more than in the past because of all the events surrounding the torch." Surely China is watching the way civilized western society deals firmly with dissent in the streets and will employ identical measures in Beijing this summer. This is how we allow China to save face; we brutally put down political opposition in our streets so that they may continue to in theirs.

[lrtoinbert]

If china 'owns' it then they have the right to have security of their own around it. Noone would complain about the FIFA security being there if the World Cup was being paraded around.

What we're talking about is one country's private security force acting as police officers in another country.

Using BenL's example: I'm sure tactical issues were arranged between British and French police officials for the Tour, and that French police were acting under British authority.

Were these men in jumpsuits empowered as police officers?

That these bodyguards are from a country with an abysmal human rights record, on display in a paragon of Western democracy, is the height of irony.

I'm sure we'll add to the irony in San Francisco.

[Stappipsy]

Lord Coe blasts 'horrible Chinese thugs' who barged their way through London as IOC considers scrapping the relay

By SAM GREENHILL, GWYNETH REES and PETER ALLEN
Last updated at 14:23pm on 8th April 2008



Lord Coe: Condemned the Chinese 'thugs'
who accompanied the Olympic torch relay


Lord Coe last night condemned the army of Chinese "thugs" who accompanied the Olympic torch relay through London.
The head of London's 2012 Games described as "horrible" the burly henchmen who barged their way through the capital, shoving the public and even police out of the way.

His trenchant remarks followed those of former Blue Peter presenter and torchbearer Konnie Huq, who revealed the Chinese minders barked orders at her and pushed her arm up to hold the flame higher.

Sunday's scenes, which were repeated in France yesterday, brought accusations that Britain had imported Chinese police state tactics to control the supposedly showcase relay.

Lord Coe made his remarks during a conference phone call, which unknown to him, was being recorded by a Channel 4 reporter who had been put through accidentally.

Referring to the Chinese security guards, who were in France yesterday with the torch on the next leg of its world tour, he said: "One thing in Paris is to get rid of those guys. They tried to push me out of the way three times. They are horrible. They did not speak English. They were thugs."

Wearing blue tracksuits, the 14 minders surrounded the symbolic flame, pushing anyone who tried to get near, as it was relayed 31 miles across London.


Struggle: A protester tries to grab the torch from former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq

Miss Huq, one of 80 torchbearers said: "The men in blue perplexed everyone. Nobody seemed to know who they were officially or what their title was. They were very robotic, very full on, and I noticed them having skirmishes with our own police and the Olympic authorities before our leg of the relay, which was confusing.

"They were barking orders at me, like 'Run! Stop!' and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, who are these people?'

"They kept pushing my hand up higher when I was holding the torch, so they were...interesting."

Miss Huq was nearly knocked to the ground by a protester as thousands of campaigners disrupted the procession to demonstrate against China's human rights abuses and brutality in Tibet.

It was reported the men have been recruited from Chinese special forces brigades. Some came from the feared Flying Dragons and rthe Sword of Flying Dragons counter-terror units.

The International Olympic Committee is considering whether to scrap the international leg of the Beijing torch relay after intense protests in London and Paris.

IOC president Jacques Rogge admitted the issue will be discussed by the organization's executive board on Friday.

Mr Rogge said he was "deeply saddened" by the violent protests and expressed concern about the torch relay in San Francisco.

He added:"This is something that obviously has to be discussed by the executive board."

Asked whether the continuation of the international relay was certain, he said: "I'm not saying whether it is certain or not.

"There will be a discussion of the executive board on the torch relay but I attach on that absolutely no speculation whatsoever."


Anger: Pro-Tibet protesters in San Francisco scaled the Golden Gate Bridge yesterday


Yesterday, there was still mystery over the Chinese minders. Matt Whitticase, of the Free Tibet Campaign, said: "Who authorised them? They should have no jurisdiction on the streets of Britain.

"It is a very creepy snapshot of Chinese security coming to London. The whole thing reminded people of what policing is like in China."

The Greater London Authority, which coorganised the event, said: "They were brought over by the Beijing organising committee. They were the responsibility of Beijing."

A spokesman insisted it was the British Olympic Association which was responsible for dealing with the Chinese.

But the BOA's spokesman said: "They were nothing to do with us. The relationship they had with the Met and the GLA was the responsibility of the GLA."

The Met Police said the Chinese guards had "no executive powers" in Britain and were simply there to protect the torch.

Privately, police were said to be furious as officers were made to look ridiculous, jogging along in cycle helmets and holding hands to form a chain around the bearers.

MPs said the fiasco made Britain a laughing stock. But Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said: "I don't think it made us look bad. The police did the best job they could."

Yesterday the mayhem continued in Paris. Security officials extinguished the torch four times before putting it in a bus for the final stages.


Secure: Police on roller blades and firemen in tracksuits surround the torch in Paris


Snuffed out: French tennis player Arnaud Di Pasquale carries an extinguished Olympic torch

In San Francisco, tomorrow's destination, pro-Tibet campaigners last night scaled the Golden Gate Bridge to unfurl banners.

The Olympic torch was extinguished four times today before a relay through Paris was abruptly aborted by Chinese officials.

The round-the-world tour descended into French farce the day after extraordinary scenes in London.

In Britain protestors tried to put out the legendary flame with Chinese "heavies" keeping them at bay, but in Paris it was police who snuffed out the flame four times for "security reasons" - once because a group of demonstrators began booing.

A police spokesman said: "We had no choice. There were so many protesters threatening a public disturbance that it was no longer practical to keep it on a public road."

Chinese organisers finally decided to pull the plug on the public relations disaster two miles from the end of what was supposed to be an 18-mile route, bundling the torch onto a bus outside the National Assembly to be driven to a sports stadium.

The propane-fuelled flame is a crucial symbol of the history of the Olympics and is traditionally kept alight until the closing ceremony of the Games.

Campaigners for independence for Tibet were protesting against human rights violations by the Chinese, claiming Beijing was unfit to stage this summer's Olympics.

There were at least ten arrests after thousands of demonstrators poured into Paris.

And the first incident came minutes after the relay began at the Eiffel Tower when a Paris city councillor lunged at gold-medal winning torchbearer Stephane Diagana.

Green Party member Sylvain Garel shouted "Freedom for the Chinese" as he attempted to grab the torch from the former hurdler.

The next disturbance happened barely 200 yards along the Left Bank of the Seine, with the torch put out and placed aboard a bus.

What appeared to be a panic decision was clearly an embarrassment to the French authorities who had put 3,000 police onto the streets, with 20 riot police vans and more officers on motorbikes and even rollerblades accompanying the Olympic cortege.

From then on, the procession advanced painfully slowly, stopping and starting as police checked for security risks.

The flame was reignited and then put out a further three times.


Farce: A torch relay runner is surrounded by security guards and photographers in Paris

At least two activists got within almost an arm's length of the flame before they were grabbed by police, and one protestor got close enough to throw water at the torch.

Less than an hour after the flame left the Eiffel Tower, it was being carried out of a traffic tunnel by a woman athlete in a wheelchair when the procession was halted by activists who booed and chanted "Free Tibet."

Once again, the torch was extinguished and put on a bus.

The third time, security officials apparently interrupted the procession because they spotted demonstrators ahead.

After the torch was put back on the bus, protesters threw rotten eggs, plastic bottles, cups and pieces of bread at the vehicle and at a male wheelchair-bound athlete.

The torch disappeared back inside the bus a fourth time shortly after a protester approached it with a fire extinguisher near the Louvre art museum.

Police grabbed the demonstrator before he could start to spray.

[sterofthemasteool]

What a mess.