French security officials have been forced to extinguish the Olympic torch three times as it passes through Paris ahead of the Beijing Games in August.

 

Officials extinguished and put the torch on a bus for safety reasons, in the face of anti-China protests.

 

The mayor of Paris cancelled a ceremony due to mark the torch relay after activists hung a Tibetan flag from the city hall.

 

Police have made several arrests as protesters try to disrupt the relay.

 

The French protests came after 37 people were arrested during pro-Tibet protests which disrupted Sunday's relay in London.

 

Earlier on Monday, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, expressed concern over unrest in Tibet and the torch protests.

 

'Olympic values'

 

Security in Paris has been extremely tight, with some 3,000 police on duty, riding motorcycles, jogging or on skates.

 

 

About 500 protesters were reported to be involved in the demonstrations, mainly near the Eiffel Tower.

 

Several hundred demonstrators waving banners gathered on the Trocadero esplanade where the relay began at 1235 (1035 GMT).

 

A member of the French Green party was restrained by police after attempting to grab the torch from the first of Paris's 80 torch bearers, former world 400 metres hurdles champion Stephane Diagana, Reuters news agency said.

 

Police were forced three times to put out the torch and carried it onto a bus, as police cleared protesters from the route.

 

The flame itself has been kept alight the whole time in a safety lantern.

 

On the second occasion, the flame was being relayed out of a Paris traffic tunnel by an athlete in a wheelchair when it was taken onto a bus because protesters booed and began chanting "Tibet", the Associated Press (AP) reported.

 

Speaking in Beijing earlier, IOC President Jacques Rogge said he was concerned over both the recent unrest in Paris and the torch protests.

 

"The International Olympic Committee has expressed its serious concern and calls for a rapid peaceful resolution in Tibet," Mr Rogge said.

 

He condemned the attempts to disrupt the torch relay, saying violent protests, "for whatever reason," are "not compatible with the values of the torch relay or the Olympic Games".

 

China said the protests during London's Sunday torch relay were the work of "a few Tibetan separatists" attempting "to sabotage" the event, AP reported.

 

London's relay saw protesters trying to douse and even snatch the Olympic flame as athletes and celebrities carried it through the city.

 

The demonstrations have been sparked by China's security crackdown in Tibet following a series of protests against Chinese rule which swept the region last month.

 

Tibetan exile groups say Chinese security forces killed dozens of protesters. Beijing says about 19 people were killed in rioting.

 

The torch was lit in Olympia, Greece, on 24 March and will go through 20 countries before being carried into the opening ceremony at the Beijing Games on 8 August.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7334545.stm

Why the fuck are the Olympics in China? It's clear that most people do not want them there and its absurd for them to be there.

Why the fuck are the Olympics in China? It's clear that most people do not want them there and its absurd for them to be there.

 

Are the fuck are the Olympics coming to London in 2012? It's clear that most people do not want them there and its absurd for them to be there.

Most Olympics are met with criticism no matter where they are held as its a good chance to grab some global attention.

 

I'm not a big fan of China hosting the Olympics because of their human rights abuses. Also I'm not very happy about the way that they are keeping the geonocide in Sudan going.

Are the fuck are the Olympics coming to London in 2012? It's clear that most people do not want them there and its absurd for them to be there.

 

Clever.

Most Olympics are met with criticism no matter where they are held as its a good chance to grab some global attention.

 

I'm not a big fan of China hosting the Olympics because of their human rights abuses. Also I'm not very happy about the way that they are keeping the geonocide in Sudan going.

you mean that China is behind Sudan genocide? :huh: :stunned: i didn't knew it.

Yup, they have their hands firmly in Sudan's pockets pumping out their oil (surprise surprise). They are in a position to put an end to the genocide yet they remain cozy with the government there.

 

More info:

http://www.sudanreeves.org/Article142.html

^thanks a lot for the info Briggins :thumbsup:

I had no clue of that, wow.

Viva China:)

:rolleyes:

now the question will rise: should countries be boycotting?

YES! MOST DEFINITELY! I've done a lot of work on behalf of the Tibetan Freedom cause for years, and when I first heard of this, I wanted to campaign online for a massive boycott. But I never bothered because sadly, I realized most people just don't give a shit.

 

Don't even get me started on the IOC...International Olympic CORRUPTION!

clinton called for a partial boycott. it'll be interesting to see what happens

Really? That's the first smart thing a Clinton has done in months,lol. Glad to hear it.

I personally do not support a boycott because it ends up hurting the athletes the most. However I do think that it is a good time for citizens to pressure their leaders to do something. Perhaps people should boycott attending the game or buying Olympic Merchandise.

Hey, Bill's pretty good when it comes to human rights issues - and this certainly deserves any attention he can bring to it! It was his contention that if the West kept trade with China fully open, a rising middle class in China would begin to want change in the country, and eventually democratic reforms would take hold. I know that their court system is undergoing a transformation, but militarily, there still is the lingering behaviors of the past. The Olympic games were supposed to be a time when all participating countries ceased warring, and came in peace to compete in the athletic competitions..

I was sort of makiing fun of Hilary in that post. Actually, I agree with you about Bill. His record on human rights speaks for itself.

 

It's unfortunate that the athletes suffer for a boycott, but I'd say the people in Tibet and the Sudan are suffering a hell of alot more. I'm glad someone pointed out the irony that wars used to stop for the Olympics. Somewhere along the way, we started missing the point of the games.

 

The ordinary Chinese people themselves are wonderful people, and putting down China as a whole for their government's actions would be like hating all Americans for their bad government, but by the same token, China's behaviour shouldn't be condoned.

 

I used to love the Olympics as a kid, but I've learned too much about the corruption and rampant apethy with regard to human rights issues on the part of the IOC to really enjoy them anymore.

 

"I ain't gonna play Sun City."

Yes, I agree.:) & perhaps in that vein, both the Tibetians and the Chinese Police/Troops should cease hostilities and protests. As far as Sudan and China, if the Chinese government is complicit with what the regime there is doing, they need to stop it immediately, or be somehow partially boycotted at least, as this is not in tune with the spirit of the times. Although, in like kind, there were times when the US backed and armed repressive regimes, & no doubt some of this occurred during the Olympic games and ceremony. Our government should have been called on the carpet as well!!

Today's world is less tolerant of such abusive situations (thankfully), & so with that comes a higher standard of expected behavior - a good step forward.;)

THis is why I take issue no matter where the games are held. The US is not above reproach either, so it's like an insult to anyone who knows the original significance of the Olympics...but I have some pretty extreme views about this subject, so I'm not going to try and win any arguments,lol.

:rolleyes:And in like kind, all Canadians need to cease hostilities towards the US!:) (and no sneaking across the border at night to invade either - just because it's mostly thousands of miles of open farmland guarded by one or two sheep dogs and three stray barn cats!:laugh3:)

Hey, Bill's pretty good when it comes to human rights issues - and this certainly deserves any attention he can bring to it! It was his contention that if the West kept trade with China fully open, a rising middle class in China would begin to want change in the country, and eventually democratic reforms would take hold. I know that their court system is undergoing a transformation, but militarily, there still is the lingering behaviors of the past. The Olympic games were supposed to be a time when all participating countries ceased warring, and came in peace to compete in the athletic competitions..

 

 

actually it was hillary who called for the partial boycott, not Bill

Because Bill whispered it in her ear at night..:P

You're assuming they sleep in the same bed....

Boycot the games. Simple.