Protests Halt Olympic Ceremony

San Francisco torch ceremony cancelled because of “security concerns”

The http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=3729.

Mayor Gavin Newsom, citing “security concerns,” said the ceremony, planned for Justin Herman Plaza on the waterfront, was being cancelled and some kind of event would be carried out at a secret location. The news came after a day filled with protests as organizers were forced to re-route the torch relay run to avoid protesters who had vowed to extinguish the Olympic symbol. Pro-China groups squared off with human rights campaigners in shouting matches as the Justin Herman square became packed with milling crowds waving flags and signs.  

Similar protests in London and Paris forced organizers to put the torch out on a number of occasions, a serious defeat for status aware China. A http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=4140 to protect the torch.

The Olympics have drawn attention to China, which relies on Western capitalism to purchase its cheap wares to fuel its economic growth, and is a key component of the globalization that has hollowed out whole sectors of Western economies.

2008-04-09