The International Olympic Committee has come up with a way to stop the protests following the Olympic torch around the world.
Stop the torch relay altogether:
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Security concerns for the Olympic torch’s only North American stop were high Tuesday after its visit to Paris descended into chaos and activists here scaled the Golden Gate Bridge to protest China’s human rights record.
Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said the committee would consider ending the international leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay because of such anti-Chinese protests.
Rogge told The Associated Press he was ”deeply saddened” by violent protests in London and Paris and concerned about the upcoming torch relay in San Francisco, where activists expressed fears Monday that the torch’s planned route through Tibet would lead to arrests and violent measures by Chinese officials trying to stifle dissent.
The bridge protest’s organizers said they’ll remain faithful to their mission of protesting peacefully when the torch relay takes place. 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.
The flame was expected to land here at 4 a.m. Tuesday. A series of demonstrations opposing were planned before the six-mile relay Wednesday. A rival torch relay supporting Tibetan independence was scheduled to take place Tuesday.
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.”
The IOC has nobody to blame but itself for this. They could’ve said no to China to begin with. Now, they have to live with the fact that the Olympics will be used to legitimize a dictatorship.
