[bely832new]

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said the committee would consider ending the international leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay because of the protests.

The torch's global journey was supposed to highlight China's growing economic and political power. But activists opposing China's human rights policies and a recent crackdown on Tibet have been protesting along the torch's 85,000-mile route since the start of the flame's odyssey from Ancient Olympia in Greece to Beijing, host of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Rogge told The Associated Press he was "deeply saddened" by violent protests in London and Paris and concerned about the relay in San Francisco, where activists expressed fears that the torch's planned route through Tibet would lead to arrests and violent measures by Chinese officials trying to stifle dissent.

The flame arrived in San Francisco shortly before 4 a.m. and was immediately put in a vehicle to be whisked away to a secret location, San Francisco Olympic Torch Relay Committee spokesman David Perry said. Security was heightened because several protests were planned before the torch's six-mile relay Wednesday.

"We treated it like a head of state visit," airport spokesman Mike McCaron said.

Already, one runner who planned to carry the flame during the San Francisco relay dropped out because of safety concerns, Perry said. The person was not identified, but Perry said he understood the concern.

Three people climbed the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday and tied the Tibetan flag and two banners to its cables. The banners read "One World One Dream. Free Tibet," and "Free Tibet 08." They later climbed down and bridge workers cut down the signs.

The bridge protest's organizers said they would remain faithful to their mission of nonviolence during the torch relay. They said they wanted to take full advantage of the international spotlight to get their message out.

"This is a life-or-death situation for Tibetans," said Yangchen Lhamo, an organizer of the banner-hanging who is on the board of directors of Students for a Free Tibet.

Olympic organizers canceled the final leg of the Paris run Monday after demonstrators scaled the Eiffel Tower, grabbed for the flame and forced security officials to repeatedly snuff out the torch and transport it by bus. China condemned the protests as "despicable" but vowed to continue the relay to the end.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy told reporters Tuesday it was sad spectacle, but that protests are normal in a democratic country.

Rogge said the IOC's executive board would discuss ending the international leg in a meeting Friday. After San Francisco, the torch is scheduled to travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and then to a dozen other countries. It is scheduled to enter mainland China on May 4 for the host country's portion of the relay.

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/olympic...07145109990001

[bely832new]

Awesome! It's nice to know that people throughout the world have spoken up on behalf of Tibet. And this is only going to promote the movement for boycotting opening ceremonies.

It would be beautiful if political realities could be seperated from the Games. Sadly, that will never happen. And the IOC should have known the can of worms they were opening by awarding the Games to the same people that brought you Tiananmen Square.

[tretcheenia]

My goodness Sarkozy said something I agree with.

Would this be a first time ever for the Olympic flame to not complete it's world wide journey?

It's funny how money can blind people to reality isn't it?

[JANALA]

My opinion on this is complicated, so I'll avoid even trying to write it.


I saw poor Tim Henman getting mobbed on the news last night.

[tretcheenia]

I don't think the games should be cancelled. Too many athletes have worked too hard to not be able to compete in this once every four year event. There was a news report last night that Afghanistan is sending a team to the Olympics that will include a woman who will compete in track. The three men are competeing in Tae Kwon Do.

Some of these concerns were voiced way back when btw.

[bely832new]

I don't think the games should be cancelled. Too many athletes have worked too hard to not be able to compete in this once every four year event. There was a news report last night that Afghanistan is sending a team to the Olympics that will include a woman who will compete in track. The men are competeing in Tae Kwon Do.

Some of these concerns were voiced way back when btw.

I'm not a supporter of the Games being cancelled either, Ti. However, I think boycotting the Opening Ceremonies is a fitting statement.

[JANALA]

I love that these protesters are standing up for something that's undeniably moral. But at the same time, I want to avoid hypocrisy. My own government has been orchestrating an illegal war for 5 years.

[LoohornePharp]

I certainly respect the right of people to protest China's civil rights violations and the Tibet issue...

But it becomes a lot more difficult for me to respect the views of people who climb up the Golden Gate Bridge to make their protest, forcing others to risk their own lives to get them down safely. What if one of the rescuers had been accidentally killed? Do these idiots ever think about what can go wrong?

Make your protest, but do it in a way that isn't going to risk dismemberment or death on the part of someone else.

As for the Olympics, it never should have been scheduled for Beijing in the first place.

[Aztegjpl]

This may not be the popular opinion, but I wish this weren't happening. The point of the relay and the Games is to recognize sports and athletes throughout the world, and ending the relay would deny thousands of people the experience of witnessing the torch relay, and the select athletes and others chosen as torchbearers the honor of carrying it.

I've always felt Olympic boycotts were against the spirit of the Olympic movement, and the negative impact was really just on the spectators and especially on the athletes denied a once-in-a-lifetime experience most of them see as the highest career goal.

[Lidawka]

I was just about to post that I hadn't heard anything about that banner being posted on the bridge on our local news. And then the story came on this morning. Evidently, all bicyclists and pedestrians accessing the bridge are now being searched, and access to people not in vehicles was shut down for a while yesterday.

[LoohornePharp]

I was just about to post that I hadn't heard anything about that banner being posted on the bridge on our local news. And then the story came on this morning. Evidently, all bicyclists and pedestrians accessing the bridge are now being searched, and access to people not in vehicles was shut down for a while yesterday.

Didn't they also shut down traffic in at least direction for a while yesterday? I'm pretty sure they did while the authorities risked their own lives to get these idiots down. Those protesters should do time in the joint.

[giftbestcom]

This may not be the popular opinion, but I wish this weren't happening. The point of the relay and the Games is to recognize sports and athletes throughout the world, and ending the relay would deny thousands of people the experience of witnessing the torch relay, and the select athletes and others chosen as torchbearers the honor of carrying it.

I've always felt Olympic boycotts were against the spirit of the Olympic movement, and the negative impact was really just on the spectators and especially on the athletes denied a once-in-a-lifetime experience most of them see as the highest career goal.

My heart agrees with this mmmm8, but I think the protesters have to seize their moment. This is getting so much publicity over here.

Apparently if a country is being represented in the games, they cannot boycott the opening ceremony, but the athletes do not have to participate. There is a movement over here, for a lone flag carrier to represent Ireland at the ceremony, but no decision has been made yet.

[Aztegjpl]

My opinion on this is complicated, so I'll avoid even trying to write it.

I saw poor Tim Henman getting mobbed on the news last night.

I saw some footage of him and some photos, and didn't see him get attacked so I assumed he wasn't

[LoohornePharp]

My heart agrees with this mmmm8, but I think the protesters have to seize their moment. This is getting so much publicity over here.

Apparently if a country is being represented in the games, they cannot boycott the opening ceremony, but the athletes do not have to participate. There is a movement over here, for a lone flag carrier to represent Ireland at the ceremony, but no decision has been made yet.

Yeah, I like M8's sentiment on the issue a lot. What I'm not following is why all of this outrage is being expressed now... I don't remember anyone batting an eye when Beijing was selected, or when Beijing was one of the last sites on the short list. Unless maybe the outcry just wasn't dangerous enough to make the news, like it is now.

[tretcheenia]

Yeah, I like M8's sentiment on the issue a lot. What I'm not following is why all of this outrage is being expressed now... I don't remember anyone batting an eye when Beijing was selected, or when Beijing was one of the last sites on the short list. Unless maybe the outcry just wasn't dangerous enough to make the news, like it is now.

There was an outcry Dry. I think for the obvious reasons ($$$$$) the nay sayers were kicked to the curb and it all died down and was squashed in the media.

[bely832new]

Yeah, I like M8's sentiment on the issue a lot. What I'm not following is why all of this outrage is being expressed now... I don't remember anyone batting an eye when Beijing was selected, or when Beijing was one of the last sites on the short list. Unless maybe the outcry just wasn't dangerous enough to make the news, like it is now.

The outcry was there when it was awarded Dry. It just $eem$ like $omething drowned it out.

[bely832new]

BTW, the athlete who was carrying the Torch when it was extinguished yesterday in Paris was former Top 40 ATP'er Arnaud Di Pasquale

[tretcheenia]

There was a disabled athlete in Paris who was not mobbed either.

[LoohornePharp]

There was an outcry Dry. I think for the obvious reasons ($$$$$) the nay sayers were kicked to the curb and it all died down and was squashed in the media.

I'm sure there probably was. But now Hillary is calling for a boycott of the opening ceremonies. Lots of public officials are speaking out, actually, and they should. I guess what I'm saying is that, had everyone voiced their objections when Beijing was on the short list, maybe all of this could have been avoided. That being said, I didn't speak out on it at the time, either.

Honestly, I really don't know what the IOC was thinking. And I know it's about money to a large degree, but still...

And how far do we take this? For example, should the top eight men in tennis boycott Shanghai in protest to human rights violations?

[Shiplyopidomi]

And how far do we take this? For example, should the top eight men in tennis boycott Shanghai in protest to human rights violations?

Now, that would be very interesting especially after the Olympics are over and the slots for YEC are filled.

Also, do you mean the Top 8 men and Top 8 doubles teams boycotting Shanghai?