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Chinese Torture Torch Relay Shames Olympic Ideals

Peter Marshall | 07.04.2008 13:59 | Social Struggles | London | World

Pictures and text from Bloomsbury, Sunday April 6, 2008 as the Olympic torch rally passed through with no sign of the torch at all.
Images copyright (C) 2008, Peter Marshall. All rights reserved.

Free Tibet demonstrators in Bloomsbury
Free Tibet demonstrators in Bloomsbury

Rows deep so as to minimise their impact
Rows deep so as to minimise their impact

Police guide a demonstrator to the pen
Police guide a demonstrator to the pen

Defiant gestures in front of the pen
Defiant gestures in front of the pen

On the street
On the street

The torch remained hidden
The torch remained hidden

Police hold demonstrators to stop them continuing to Chinatown
Police hold demonstrators to stop them continuing to Chinatown


Sunday saw a giant security operation, with crowds of police and a rather sinister phalanx of Chinese security men. I'd picked the Bloomsbury leg as the torch was scheduled to be carried along it by the Chinese ambassador, but these 'secret' plans were altered at the last minute (she carried it instead in Chinatown) apparently as police decided it would be too dangerous. The torch wasn't visible to the waiting crowds, smuggled through hidden inside a vehicle. All we got to see - apart from a huge security operation were some rather inane looking dancing girls on a lorry.

Around a thousand demonstrators for human rights in Tibet in Bloomsbury were mainly penned behind barriers in Bedford Place, well back from the road, while a similar number of Chinese with pro-Olympic banners and flags were allowed to remain behind banners along the route. This seemed to me to be a very questionable difference in treatment by the police.

When the motorcade had passed, the police attempted to detain the Tibet supporters, while allowing others to disperse freely. The crowd pushed through a double line of police close to the Montague Street junction but were held for some minutes further down the road before eventually being allowed to disperse down Coptic Street. Presumably this was a delaying tactic to stop them catching up with the Chinese ambassador in Chinatown.

More pictures shortly on 'My London DIary' at:
 http://mylondondiary.co.uk/2008/04/apr.htm

Peter Marshall
- e-mail: petermarshall@cix.co.uk
- Homepage: http://mylondondiary.co.uk/2008/04/apr.htm

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