New Olympic Events
Protestor-dodge torch relay in Paris, bridge-scaling in SF, where the torch is due tomorrow. French/Greens protest you can get behind. Oddly, the torch was doused and bused for its protection five times. In most French protests, that would have been five torched buses.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton competes in bounding, with her call for Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies in August. Not a call she’ll have to make herself but I guarantee you if she were president she’d be there. If she’s for it, I may have to be against it. Anyway, if the Olympics keep going this way, it should be a great opportunity to humiliate the PRC. Big loss of face if Olympic tourists and athletes go for the gold in the new Olympic events.
The IOC has lamely tried to claim that by bestowing the honor of the Olympics on wretched commie despots, it encourages change and brings a spotlight. I’m guessing it was actually great PRC swag and the promise of an ancient Forbidden City backdrop. In any case, the PRC is outraged, injured and claiming it’s all an anti-Chinese slur:
“France didn’t protect the sacred flame,” said the Global Times, a popular tabloid. “The world has seen the irrational extremism of some in the West, and also seen the incompetence of the Paris police.”
The People’s Daily, voice of the ruling Communist Party, quoted indignant comments on Web sites. “Don’t let foreigners look down on Chinese people!” urged one.
China had hoped the Olympic torch relay would be a symbol of cheerful unity in the run-up to the Games, which open in Beijing on Aug. 8, and it has called the relay a “journey of harmony”.
Australian organisers of the torch relay through the capital Canberra said on Tuesday they were looking at route changes to boost security following this week’s protests.
An official magazine said officials were bracing for more attempted protests and disruptions from “hostile forces”, including Tibet independence supporters, during the Games.
“Domestic and foreign hostile forces have made the Beijing Olympics a focus for infiltration and sabotage,” said Outlook Weekly, which is issued by the Xinhua news agency.
Let’s hope so! Meanwhile,
Clinton, in a statement, cited the violent clashes in Tibet and China’s policies towards Sudan’s Darfur region, where critics say it has not done enough to help end widespread strife.
Very high-minded. You know, if I was a Clinton I’m not sure I’d be calling attention to inaction re genocide in Africa. Or relations with China, Robert adds in comments.
Topics: China, France, Olympics
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 6:59 am on Tuesday, April 8, 2008
5 Responses to “New Olympic Events”
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April 8th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Jules, I’m here in SF, working about 3 blocks from Civic Center. The protests tomorrow promise to be epic, acording to the Indymedia crowd here. It’s impossible for the torch to make it through the day without some kind of violence. That’s the nature of the professional protest set here.
April 8th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
And how does the “sacred flame” get from Paris to San Francisco? Anyone?
That’s right, they put it out and carry the thing on a plane.
April 8th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
“You know, if I was a Clinton I’m not sure I’d be calling attention to inaction re genocide in Africa.”
Or relations with China.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Speaking as one who felt more welcome wearing my uniform in Australia than in SF, it does my heart good to see those unemployable jackasses protesting against Communism for once instead of for it.
Wonder if the World Worker’s Party and International Answer are having to sit this one out due to “conflict of interest”?
April 8th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
The IOC has lamely tried to claim that by bestowing the honor of the Olympics on wretched commie despots, it encourages change and brings a spotlight.
It did that all right. Only, I think they didn’t expect the “spotlight” to be so bright.