Officials Put Out Olympic Torch 3 Times

PARIS — Security officials extinguished the Olympic torch three times Monday as protests against China's human rights record turned a relay through Paris into a chaotic series of stops and starts.

Despite massive security, at least two activists got within almost an arm's length of the flame before they were grabbed by police. Officers tackled many protesters and carried off some of them. A protester threw water at the torch but failed to extinguish it and was also taken away.

At the start of the relay, a man identified as a Green Party activist was grabbed by security officers as he headed for 1997 400-meter world champion Stephane Diagana, the president of France's national athletics league, who was carrying the torch from the first floor of the Eiffel Tower. The man was tackled before he got close to Diagana.

Keep reading here.

Watch the turbulent protests in Paris:

Watch footage of earlier protests in London as the Olympic torch made its way through the UK:

Comments

[LazyLearner]

What this does not say is that CHINESE AGENTS turned it of from French athlets in order to give the flame to a chinese agent in order NOT to go to the mayor's house:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zj2nt1sz5kY

Flame turned of from French judo gold medal guy, David Douillet

UN-BE-LI-VABLE!

these guys have NO CLUE of what a symbol is made of

really UN-BE-LI-VABLE!

[Jonahson]

I remember US and many muslim countries boycotted the Olympic held in then USSR to protest against the invasion of Afghanistan. The Olympics still went on and the USSR were only too happy to pile on the medals with less competition. The US then supported covert actitivities in Afghan only to get the boomerang effect in the form of Osama and Talibans.
The Olympic Flame was first used by the Greeks as a reiligious symbol. The idea of the modern flame was started in Germany to glorify the Third Reich. Nowadays when a person is chosen to carry and pass the flame as it journey across his country, he is very proud of it. He or she when doing so does not think of China nor about politics. The flame is a symbol for the Olympic spirit to compete at the highest level will not die. It isn't owned by any one country. Maybe the torch on the statute of liberty will symbolize freedom, but not the Oylmpic Flame. Don't you guys go around mixing it up. Get your own symbol to protest.

[Angelaaaa]

Oh dear. There's that pesky history again.

Note to IOC - don't give the Olympics to nasty oppressive regimes under the guise of assisting them to overcome their ghastly human rights records. Remember the Nazi Olympics? Remember how they cleared up the Third Reich's unfortunate human rights issue? They didn't?

Note to Nasty Oppressive Regimes - don't seek to host the Olympics in the hope that your ghastly human rights records won't be noticed. They simply provide an excellent opportunity for everyone to wash your dirty linen in public. You didn't think of that?

This winning combination of greed (IOC) and oppression (China) makes them both look like - exactly what they really are.

[hillpill]

>> They simply provide an excellent opportunity for everyone to wash your dirty linen in public.

Especially in this day and age, embedded media notwithstanding.

[Trueheart]

Saw film on this event on a couple of networks. Looked like the protesters who got hauled off in Paris were Tibetan, not European.

From a purely selfish point of view, why the hell would anybody want to go to China right now? Political climate repressive, air quality bad, crackdown on foreign journalists, restrictions on what can/cannot be seen or photographed, restrictions on what can/cannot be viewed on the internet. It will be very interesting to see who does attend these games, and if attendance is low, to see how China manages the insult.

[quintus]

Those with a broken moral compass will surely go. And those world leaders who feel it's in their best interest to either suck up to China or who are all about appeasement. Uh, so Bush will be there for sure.

[S1m0n]

I hope the IOC has just woken up the public relations--and business--­catastroph­e they have on their hands: they're in the business of selling goodwill, and they make a killing at it.

But no company is going to want to pay to be associated with an international pariah; and the Chinese assault on Tibet makes them one. In fact, they stink. Ain't no one wants to pay to associate themselves with a stench.

[Xander]

I'm sorry, you must be looking for the delusional lounge. The Birkenstock wearing hippies who have the "Free Tibet" bumper stickers and think they're accomplishing anything but politicizing the Olympics are supposed to be in the room down the hall.

[quintus]

I think you might be the one with a serious delusional disorder. If you think the only people interested in China's oppression of Tibet are aging hippies, you're simply not in touch with reality. It's far more diverse demographic here and around the world.

[Ping]

Boycott China. Boycott the Olympics.

[LeonBNJ]

I bet if the Summer Olympics were to be in the USA this year, worldwide there would be massive protests during the torch runs over the War in Iraq, President Bush and other policy issues.
The protests on the torch run say to me that people are trying to bypass their government's offical policies to ignore the PRC's horrible polices due to conflcts as to trade and financial issues. The protesters have no fear of insulting the PRC and beleive they must do something to counter their horrible policies.

[quintus]

I agree: many are fed up with their government's policies which seem to be more about appeasement than anything. The people with a moral compass (something our administration sorely lacks) believe it is critical to make their voices heard because their government's voices are predictably silent.

It is time for the world to put pressure on China. Tibet deserves it's independence after being forcefully occupied by the PRC for over half a century.

[S1m0n]

from the linked article

"They have a right to peacefully assemble and express their point of view, which we respect," said Ueberroth. "Similarly, the rights of those who have been selected to participate in the torch relay should also be respected."

...More importaly, so should the human rights of people of Tibet and Darfur.

[batgirlevi]

Reading the posts here it seems the ones who don't like protest are the same ones who need authority figures in their lives and can't stand it when people speak out against the powers that be.

They can make excuse after excuse but that's what it comes down to in the end.

[jesuswazasocialist]

We disrupted it in Greece.

We disrupted it in London.

We caused its cancellation in Paris.

And we will stop it in San Francisco.

[Xander]

No you won't.

And I highly doubt you were a part of "we".

[Bluedog12]

Beware of Greeks bearing torch's.

[quintus]

The IOC was certainly OUT TO LUNCH when they awarded the Olympics to China! WTH were they thinking? Die they even CONSIDER Tibet? Totally outrageous. Completely unacceptable.

On the other hand, much of the world has been asleep to Tibet and it's long occupation by the Chinese. Why? It's a mystery. Not unlike the Armenian genocide in Turkey.

I very much appreciate the protests in Paris by ordinary citizen activists who clearly recognize the great injustices happening in Tibet at the hands of the Chinese government. Sometimes it's the people, rather than their government, who must show the way.

Tibet deserves it's independence! In that regard. I respectfully disagree with HH the Dalai Lama who has been willing all these years to accept a partial occupation by China. Why? Tibet was illegally invaded by a hostile nation. Tibet was never a part of China, regardless of what Chinese propaganda would have you believe.

[kyeblue]

I believe that Dalai Lama will strongly disagree with you that "Tibet was never a part of China". It was, part of Qing Empire, period. A Minister and a small army stationed in Lasha until 1912, the year Qing Dynasty collapsed. And Dalai Lama used to own a palace in Beijing, and he is the point person of Chinese Emperor in Tibet. As a matter of fact, Dalai Lama was installed as ruler of Tibet first under the military power of Mongolia tribes (Dalai is mongolia) affiliated with Ming Empire first, then multiple times by military power of QIng Empire. Tibet enjoyed de facto independence between 1912 to 1950 but the formal recognition of the current Dalai Lama still followed Qing Dynasty tradition with an acknowledgement from Chinese central government, at the time, run by Nationalist. A better example is the succession of Banchan Lama, when three factions all claimed to found the real one, one of them out maneuvered its competitors by obtaining a formal acknowledgement from the Nationalist government the last minutes before its fled to Taiwan. This ends the dispute and recognized by other Tibetan factions including Dalai Lama.

You have been brain washed by media and CIA, who staged the 1959 uprising. When Chinese army entered Tibet in 1950, China was at war with US led UN army in Korea, and it has every reason to secure its southwestern border.

[ljsfolly]

That China is allowed to ave the Olympics is wrong. They are using what is next to slave labor if not outright slave labor to get everyting put into place and to make the areas the athletes will visit as clean and "western" as possible. All this time their human rights is the worst for a large country we are doing business with. Of course we only have to look to our own economy to know the massive investments china has been allowed to make into our country. How much debt of ours do they own?

[Ramirez]

The Japanese own more US debt than the Chinese. Total foreign ownership of US debt amounts to around 27% of the total.

http://www.optimist123.com/optimist/2007/08/an-800-billion-.html

[ProWarDem]

The progressive crackdown on Olympic Torch bearers. Success!

The innocent Chinese athletes now have injuries and humiliation of attacks from stinky Euro hippies. How about their rights to carry the Olympic torch for the world?

How great an example has our democratic, open society set, showing intolerance and hatred towards innocent torch bearers?

Thank the "progressives" for this new approach to "change".

[KPinSEA]

Were the athletes in Paris and London from China? No.

Were any of them injured? No.

Could you stick to the facts? We'll see.

[ProWarDem]

Could you debate the points I made, or just triangulate away from the topic?

To you, this behaviour is cool because it's showing The Man. But there are consequences that others have to face.

[Blutus]

Shift change.

"Stinky Euro hippies"?!?

Borat, my friend!

Knee and how!

Everyone go moo!

[ProWarDem]

No sequitur.

Quote.

Borat meaning what?

Elbow and what.

Koo koo kachoo.

[professormoriarty]

So the slave torturing, baby killing, woman hating, anti-American, anti-civil liberties, Tibetan murdering, protester murdering Chinese can hide behind a few athletes? A few slaves were killed in the Civil War to end slavery, too. A revolution to freedom requires a few casualties.

No person who believes in the Bill of Rights or the truth of the words of our Declaration of Independence would have anything to do with the Chinese.

(Yes, I read the labels on products and I do not buy from China.)

[rosal]

With this kind of thinking, I am not surprised about your name prowardem. It seems you care more about athlets, than innocent Tibetans. Be better informed. Stop watching Faux News.

[rickyjimmy]

Genocide Games! IOC is a corrupt as it gets. Remember everything you purchase that reads made in China supports the killing of Tibetans and Sudanese. But as long as it's cheap and it's not your family...why bother?

[ProWarDem]

Why bother even having a discussion with rickyjimmy the obvious 15 year-old

[evilcarbon]

Isn't the Olympic torch contributing to Global Warming?

Global Warming Alarmists Beware... www.EvilCarbon.com

[Xander]

Fact: China has (somehow) found a way to make communism work
Fact: China is the largest country in the world
Fact: China is quickly becoming the most powerful country in the world
Fact: China has basically owned Tibet (And Taiwan) for a long, long while
Fact: The Chinese don't care what protesters think
Fact: These protests accomplish nothing other than to make the protesters feel better
Fact: The Chinese are never giving up Tibet
Fact: Since ancient times, the Olympiad has been above politics and protesting. Entire WARS were stopped during them.
Fact: Protesters are crapping on the core point and beauty of the Olympics by utilizing them as a political tool
Fact: China IS that crazy about sports and that dedicated to making the Olympics a success.
Fact: Beijing is a beautiful city
Fact: "Socially acceptable" countries (even ours) has enough blood on our hands to where we can't be harping on the Chinese.
Fact: Any of you who are protesting the Olympics are being disrespectful, selfish, arrogant, and self-righteous.

[Ping]

China is a totalitarian state that does not deserve to host the Olympics.

[Xander]

So says you. A lot of the world would say that the US doesn't deserve to host it, either.

[KPinSEA]

"Fact: Since ancient times, the Olympiad has been above politics and protesting."

Theory: you missed the 1980's?

[Bluedog12]

Your mixing that up with Pearl Drops.

[Blutus]

And I bet people thought Surrealism
was over!

[Bluedog12]

I don't mean to be a stickler but facts must be based in truth. The fact is your opinions are merely the rantings of a demented commie. Although I must admit it is Olympic Gold Medal worthy dementia.

[Xander]

Ahhh yes, the old standby of someone who realizes they can't win an argument: Resorting to just hashing out idiotic name calling in an effort to convince yourself you didn't lose when you really did.

[KPinSEA]

Also .... isn't Russia the largest country in the world?

China is the most populated country in the world, but that's not the same thing ... might want to update the Party's script on that one for enhanced credibility, comrade.

[Ramirez]

Let's pick some nits.