Olympic Protesters Run Torch Out of Town
Mayor Gavin Newsom may have oh-so-sneakily maneuvered the route of the Olympic torch run Wednesday, but the phalanx of anti-China demonstrators ran the torch out of town on a rail.
Score a victory by the lefty residents of the Bay Area — and nearly every protester I spoke with was a local — over the lefty, China-butt-kissing mayor of America’s most liberal metropolis. After the Beijing torch left AT&T Park to circuitous routes unknown — as Newsom (probably scared that the Chinese ambassador would be in his office yet again on Thursday morning) changed the path at the last minute — protesters mobilized their might around the closing ceremonies, leaving a torch air-drop as the only option to reach the stage.
In a stark change from Tibetans’ Tuesday march to a desolate Chinese consulate, Chinese nationalists showed up en masse with giant flags and drums to shout down the supporters of Tibet, Darfur, Burma, the Uighurs (Chinese Muslims), democracy in Vietnam, and more. For once in the history of San Francisco, nobody seemed to notice the quartet of Code Pink activists, who were demonstrating against the Iraq war in their salmon-colored togas.
But it’s not like the City by the Bay completely abandoned its weirdness. One protester excitedly marching suddenly proclaimed to her friend, “We should get some weed!” One woman carried a sign reading “Another Organic Chef for Tibet.” Three naked men campaigned to bring the Olympics back to its fancy free, ancient-Grecian roots. “A big tradition in San Francisco is public nudity,” said George Davis, who said no officers had harassed the trio. Davis also acknowledged the spirit of the day coursing through the other protesters: “I’m glad that people are concerned with the problem of human rights.”
Hoang Co Dinh of San Jose, waving the old flag of South Vietnam and protesting the 1974 Chinese seizure of the Paracel Islands from Vietnam and China’s 1958 declaration of ownership of the Spratly Islands, said the protesters representing myriad causes shared a lot of common ground. “We come here for the same purpose,” he said. “China must behave like a civilized country.”
“They have to let the people talk,” he added. “Even in Vietnam we have not the right to protest.”
Scuffles broke out here and there between those who thought China was golden and those who saw, well, reality; one Chinese man shouted “Dalai Lama is stupid!” repeatedly through a bullhorn. Police officers seemed to pretty much stay out of the fray, more concerned with protecting the would-be finish line for the torch. On the ground beneath one set of protesters were three fire extinguishers assembled in a neat triangle, ready to go for the gold.
As most of the Chinese residents stayed behind barriers, waiting for the torch that never came, Tibet supporters spilled into the Embarcadero with little protest from cops. One demonstrator posed as a Buddhist monk — the words “Free Tibet” taped over his mouth — walking along in prayer, while another man wielding a Chinese flag walked behind him and flogged him with a leather strap. For the number of verbal altercations between the pro- and anti-China demonstrators there was a low level of physical contact, even when Chinese wielding giant PRC flags strode into the middle of protest groups.
When the time neared for the closing ceremonies of the torch run, Tibetan organizers told protesters to go through the Embarcadero Center building to get around police barricades branching far from the stage setup. “Block all the entrances!” a protest leader shouted. “Do not let the torch enter the closing ceremony!” Demonstrators streamed through the doors of the shopping center, chanting slogans as shopkeepers peered from windows.
Once near the stage, protesters pressed against the inner barricades from all sides as a giant screen flashed photos of Olympics past to inspirational instrumental music. A few encouraged me to lead the protest charge to knock down the barricades, thinking that the press pass hanging from my neck gave me free rein to do so. After an hour or so, the ceremonies were called off and the torch was shuttled over to San Francisco International Airport.
The protests underscored the support that world leaders have to make the wise decision to boycott the Olympic opening – something apparently not considered by President Bush. In an interview to be aired Friday, he told EWTN Global Catholic Network, “I’m going to the Olympics, for starters. And I’ve — my plans aren’t — haven’t changed. … I don’t need the Olympics to express my position to the Chinese leadership on freedom.”
But the world does need leaders who, unlike Newsom, decide to follow the lead of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and put human rights first.
Crushed in the middle of protesters at the ceremony site, I saw a Tibetan woman standing in front of me curiously pick up a paper on the ground, which turned out to be the cover of a Chinese promotional publication of some sort. She slowly ripped up the paper and let the pieces fall back to the ground.
After seeing Americans from all walks of life come out to protest China, Bush should likewise tear up his Olympic invitation.
Bridget Johnson is a columnist at the Los Angeles Daily News.
So the people are in the streets everywhere. London – stiff upper lip protests and Brown decided not to touch the torch. France – pull off a riot and put out that flame like only the French could. San Francisco – hanging off the bridge to stop the hanging. Maybe we should create a special Oh-Limp-Pics for those not-so-free societies to be paraded every four years. It will give us all a chance to show how we feel about injustice around the world. It is obvious that the media will only report on it if there is a sound-bite and a photo opportunity. Maybe something for tyrant to carry the torch of torture every four years. Mm, I think I have an idea… http://angryafrican.net/2008/04/09/oh-limp-pic-games-celebrating-tyrants-everywhere/
“victory by the lefty residents of the Bay Area — and nearly every protester I spoke with was a local — over the lefty, China-butt-kissing mayor of America’s most liberal metropolis.”
Just another day of progresssives’ schizophrenia on public display.
One thing I’d like to point out, all outsiders need to be reminded of American Civil War, where the Union (Us government) fought to stop southern states’ secession and ended with 620,000 casualties among soldiers and uncountable amount numbers of death in civilians. I’m a China born and US citizen for the last 22 years. I think it’s Chinese Government’s fault not to explain to the world and differentiate human rights and separation (secession). It’s a traditional Chinese thinking, if someone is saying bad things about me, as long as I’m not guilty, it’s not worthy for me to waste my time to explain. As for westerners, if you keep silence, which means you admit that you are guilty. It’s the Chinese government’s fault of its “high self pride” for not talking to the Tibet leaders. It’s also a pity that Dalai Lama, a so-called Nobel Peace winner would allow violent riots around the world by his believers and in his name. As a well-known person, he could ask for a press conference from the west, he could say something to his believers around the world to stop the violence, if he really is what he claims to be – a peace loving spiritual leader. Unless, both parties are guilty of something…there are a huge difference of casualties reported by both parties, 18 – 99! Germany’s RTL television had already apologized for its mistake – alleged Chinese police beating riot civilians, the footages were actually shot in Nepal. Who do you believe? People around the world need to be brought back to reality, and to be reminded what really Olympic stands for!
“It’s also a pity that Dalai Lama, a so-called Nobel Peace winner would allow violent riots around the world by his believers and in his name.”
Really. Is that what he’s doing, Olivia?
I thought he was just living in exile because the Chinese goverment would arrest him on sight if he ever committed the high-crime of setting foot in own country.
My bad.
Lost in the Pavlovian anti-liberal rhetoric, which is SOP here at PJM, is the fact that the anti-torch contingent was protesting a Communist government.
And as far as the insinuation that Mayor Newsom doesn’t care about human rights: would it have been preferable for him to allow the torch to proceed as planned, with the almost 100% certainty that there would be violent clashes and possible injuries? The only other alternative, besides the one he wisely chose, would have been to cancel the relay altogether. I for one cannot fault him for placing the safety of San Francisco visitors and residents above any concern for the opinions of right-wing propaganda-mongers, who would bash him no matter what he did anyway.
Certainly ironic – the San Francisco protesters want freedom for Tibet but freedom for Iraq? Hmmm… nothing to see here folks, just move along.
I have been a part of protesting in my youth, nothing as violent, virulent or hateful as what passes for “protest” these past couple of decades, but enough to know that much of this is just one way for these folks to get out and scream, yell and threaten. However, ask these same people to, I don’t know, help to stop gang violence, children having children, children beating up on children and adults, stopping the filth that passes for entertainment in the music and movies of today and NO, NO…FREEDOM OF SPEECH and all. To bad they can’t care about what’s actually happening in their own neighborhoods where they might be able to effect a change. Easier to yell and scream and be violent and hateful to countries around the world that haven’t done anything in over fifty years of protests for their people. NO! You see, it is all our fault, America’s. Too dumb, too stupid plus blind and deaf with it. Beyond shame.
The Dalai Lama is a self-admitted Marxist. See:
http://www.greaterthings.com/Lexicon/D/DalaiLama_Marxist.htm
So, we have two Marxist entities in a power struggle. Unless we have sympathies for one or the other evil regime, why should we care about that outcome?
As for “Human Rights,” — as defined in the U.N.’s Declaration of Human Rights, it is a bogus concept. Have you ever wondered how the most oppressive nations on the face of the earth—the socialist dictatorships—were awarded and retain membership in the U.N. with that document in place? It’s because the definition of human rights, as it appears in the Declaration is fatally flawed. Not only are individual property rights missing from the list of human rights, but Articles 23 through 25 identify many violations of such rights as rights themselves — i.e., authorizing government confiscation of private property for the benefit of other citizens. So, even though they may kill their own citizens at will, these nations are considered to be in compliance because they have merely chosen to “emphasize“ a different set of rights.
不知道国外媒体为什么如此般丑化中国政府，丑化中国人民，丑化北京奥运。
Please don’t lie!!!