Large protests against China at torch bearing ceremony

[Technologic]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7332942.stm#map


Eighteen 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 started the parade at Wembley.
Demonstrators tried to snatch the torch from former 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.
See a map of the torch relay route (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7332942.stm#map)


Gordon Brown has greeted the torch in Downing Street despite coming under pressure to boycott the parade and the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gifhttp://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/start_quote_rb.gif I always said my taking part in the procession doesn't mean I condone China in any way http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/end_quote_rb.gif


Konnie Huq

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/inline_dashed_line.gif

In pictures: Olympic Torch relay (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/7333108.stm)


Ahead of the procession, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg branded the prime minister's participation "wholly inappropriate".
There is a mobile protective ring around the torch as it is carried by bus, foot, boat and light railway past some of London's most iconic sights.
Metropolitan Police Commander Jo Kaye said: "The Met has clearly stated in the build up to this event that we will facilitate lawful protest, however we will not tolerate continued attempts to breach the safety security and safe passage of the torch and its bearers."
Police stepped in when protesters tried to snatch the torch from Ms Huq.
Olympic values
She told BBC News 24 she was "a bit bashed about" but not seriously hurt.
"I always said my taking part in the procession doesn't mean I condone China in any way," she added.
"I believe in the Olympic values, the Olympic ideals... it's just unfortunate that China has such a terrible track record when it comes to human rights and they are the host nation."
Those taking part in the relay include 10 Olympic champions, 18 schoolchildren and public figures such as news reader Sir Trevor McDonald and musician Vanessa Mae.
Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes will run the last stage of the route to complete the relay before lighting the Olympic cauldron in front of 5,000 spectators.
The flame will complete the London leg of its journey with a finale event at the O2 Arena headlined by the Sugababes. It will then leave for Paris. The torch was lit in Olympia, Greece, last week and will go through 20 countries before being carried into the Beijing Games opening ceremony on 8 August.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Good, I am glad this has disrupted it. Our country says we have freedom of speech, yet police are trying to move protestors away from the torch. - It is a joke.

[xxMATTGxx]

Good, I am glad this has disrupted it. Our country says we have freedom of speech, yet police are trying to move protestors away from the torch. - It is a joke.

We can't really have freedom of speech anymore in the world, which is a shame.

[-:Undertaker:-]

We can't really have freedom of speech anymore in the world, which is a shame.

We can't in Britain as our pushover government is scared of upsetting the Chinese regime.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44544000/jpg/_44544151_huq226b2.jpg

[xxMATTGxx]

We can't in Britain as our pushover government is scared of upsetting the Chinese regime.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44544000/jpg/_44544151_huq226b2.jpg

I don't think you can in the USA either, I'm not sure.

[Technologic]

:l. There was a line of police 3 deep encricling the flame on its last leg


http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44543000/jpg/_44543940_protests_pa416.jpg
Wembley stadium

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44544000/jpg/_44544097_extinguisher_getty416.jpg
Notting Hill

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44544000/jpg/_44544377_whitehall_getty416.jpg
Whitehall


Look how many police there are :l

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44544000/jpg/_44544619_radcliffe2_getty220.jpg

[Jordy]

Aha I couldn't help researching Konnie Huq on the internet, she was offered a Six figure sum by Playboy to appear naked and offered a huge lump from Loaded to appear topless, it's beyond me why anyone would pay that, never mind buy a magazine with her in... naked. Luckily for the readers/viewers/perverts she declined the offer. Sorry a bit off topic but interesting and ridiculous never the less, especially as she's a Blue Peter presenter, I'd rather see the other BP presenters like Zoe Salmon in them magazines? :D
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00334/F_200705_May26tvzoe_334961a.jpg

What amazes me is that China's state controlled TV Stations will only show the good bits of the Flame ceremony and they will know nothing about Tibetan protests.

It's a complete media blackout over there as the media is ran by the government and no one in China really knows anything about what's happening in Tibet, and they have limited usage of the internet to stop them finding out about it, though that is easing.

I completely back the person attempting to steal the flame, they say Sport shouldn't be mixed with Politics, in that case why the hell did the flame go to 10 Downing Street and greet Mr Brown? ;P

I can just see loads of human rights abuses in China at the time of the Olympics because if anyone even says anything about Tibet at the time or protests, I imagine brutal things will happen.

[Geraint]

China should boycott the olympics in 2012. If I was president I would have blackmailed them. All the protesters were Chinese and I'm sure they'd want to see their stars in the Olympics.

[Jordy]

China should boycott the olympics in 2012. If I was president I would have blackmailed them. All the protesters were Chinese and I'm sure they'd want to see their stars in the Olympics.If the boycotting of the Olympics returns it'll be a disaster and could end the Olympics like it almost did in 1980 and the 1984 Olympics, I agree with the protests but boycotting is a step too far.

We're not boycotting China so why would they want to boycott us, your post doesn't make much sense. Oh and the people in the crowd, I think you'll find not all of them where oriental looking, it was only about 60% oriental, if not less. The person who grabbed the Torch was English? Just because they're oriental looking doesn't mean they're Chinese, some where actual Tibetans and some where actually British though they have Oriental features.

If you have vision's like Prince Philip that anyone with 'Slitty eyes' is Chinese then you need to look beyond.

Edit: Just seen this on the BBC:

China has called protests which accompanied the relay in London "vile".

and the state-run China Daily newspaper ran the headline "Warm reception in cold London" - together with a picture of UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown applauding the torch's arrival.Lmao... the irony is pure bliss.