Now That is the Way to Protest!
April 6th, 2008 at 02:26pm Mark Noonan
Good job!
LONDON (AP) - Police repeatedly scuffled with protesters as Olympians and dignitaries carried the Olympic torch through snowy London during a chaotic relay Sunday.
Demonstrators tried to board a relay bus after five-time Olympic gold medalist rower Steve Redgrave launched procession at Wembley Stadium - presaging a number of clashes with police along the torch’s 31-mile journey.
There have been 30 arrests, Metropolitan Police said.
In west London, a protester tried to grab the torch out of the hands of a TV presenter, forcing police to briefly stop the procession as officers detained the man. Another demonstrator tried to snuff out the flame with what appeared to be a fire extinguisher. Others in the crowd threw themselves at torchbearers running past in official Beijing 2010 Olympics tracksuits.
Let those people who govern China with such savegery know how people feel about the barbarism in Tibet. I’m still hopeful that some how, some way, a complete boycott of the Olymics will take place - that people will just rise up and say, “enough! We’ve had it with lending credibility to tyranny!”. We can have the Olympics in any one of a score of free nations - no need to give the Chinese tyrants a chance to look good on TV…
And Simon Jenkins in the Times of London says it perfectly - and before the protests:
Today’s London publicity stunt for the Chinese regime should be ignored by the public and any reputable athlete or politician, unless to register a fierce protest. The four-month “journey of harmony” of the Olympic torch (or many cloned torches) through 21 nations is an exercise in political laundering. It is appalling that the prime minister is to “greet” his torch in Downing Street.
This tour has nothing to do with sport. It has been staged by the Chinese government, not the International Olympic Committee, with “celebrity runners” in each country approved by the commercial sponsors, Coca-Cola, Lenovo and Samsung. In Britain those conned into joining include Tim Henman, Sir Trevor McDonald, Vanessa-Mae, the Sugababes, Ken Livingstone and Gordon Brown. It shows how craven Britain has become to its membership of the so-called Olympic family and its Chinese parents.
Entry Filed under: Foreign Affairs
4 Comments
1. kimberly4victory | April 6th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
France has joined Germany and others in boycotting the Opening Ceremonies. It is time for the US to do so as well.
2. congressive | April 7th, 2008 at 2:49 am
King George, are you listening?
3. Sunny | April 7th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
I see where Hillary Clintion is calling for a boycott of the Olympics by the US. Is she more in touch with the American people that George W. Bush?
4. kimberly4victory | April 7th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
LOL, Sunny. Do you think Hillary is doing it because of what is happening in Tibet? If so, what took her so long? OR do you think she is doing it because it’s what the American people want?
She’s not in touch, she’s doing what all Clintons do …