Below The Beltway

Some people in London are speaking up about the behavior of the Chinese “security” officials who are accompanying the Olympic Torch on it’s international relay:

Lord Coe last night condemned the army of Chinese “thugs” who accompanied the Olympic torch relay through London.

The head of London’s 2012 Games described as “horrible” the burly henchmen who barged their way through the capital, shoving the public and even police out of the way.

His trenchant remarks followed those of former Blue Peter presenter and torchbearer Konnie Huq, who revealed the Chinese minders barked orders at her and pushed her arm up to hold the flame higher.

Sunday’s scenes, which were repeated in France yesterday, brought accusations that Britain had imported Chinese police state tactics to control the supposedly showcase relay.

Lord Coe made his remarks during a conference phone call, which unknown to him, was being recorded by a Channel 4 reporter who had been put through accidentally.

Referring to the Chinese security guards, who were in France yesterday with the torch on the next leg of its world tour, he said: “One thing in Paris is to get rid of those guys. They tried to push me out of the way three times. They are horrible. They did not speak English. They were thugs.”

Wearing blue tracksuits, the 14 minders surrounded the symbolic flame, pushing anyone who tried to get near, as it was relayed 31 miles across London.

And the funny thing is nobody seems to know who these blue-tracksuited thugs are:

It was reported the men have been recruited from Chinese special forces brigades. Some came from the feared Flying Dragons and rthe Sword of Flying Dragons counter-terror units.

(…)

Yesterday, there was still mystery over the Chinese minders. Matt Whitticase, of the Free Tibet Campaign, said: “Who authorised them? They should have no jurisdiction on the streets of Britain.

“It is a very creepy snapshot of Chinese security coming to London. The whole thing reminded people of what policing is like in China.”

The Greater London Authority, which coorganised the event, said: “They were brought over by the Beijing organising committee. They were the responsibility of Beijing.”

A spokesman insisted it was the British Olympic Association which was responsible for dealing with the Chinese.

But the BOA’s spokesman said: “They were nothing to do with us. The relationship they had with the Met and the GLA was the responsibility of the GLA.”

The Met Police said the Chinese guards had “no executive powers” in Britain and were simply there to protect the torch.

It’s no surprise that you’d see tactics like this from the Chinese.