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

[Xander]

You know, there's a time and a place for everything, but using the Olympics - which was created as a way of creating temporary goodwill amongst enemies - is not that place. These protesters have no right to be doing this, and aren't helping their cause one bit.

[Ping]

The Olympics are sponsored by Visa.

[Ramirez]

The Olympics are celebrated worldwide by millions.

[KPinSEA]

Maybe that's what the Olympics was originally intended to be, but can you seriously think that it's anything but a multibillion dollar corporate shindig now?

[jdm58]

The Olympics have been used by host governments to showcase themselves as "peaceful" when they are anything but. Hitler tried to use the Olympics to prove to the world the legitimacy of his claims of "Aryan Supremacy", and to give credibility to his Nazi regime. The USSR hosted an Olympics, boycotted thankfully by the US, immediately following their invasion of Afghanistan, amid countless outcries of human rights violations. Why should China, be given a free pass, after their hostile takeover of Tibet, and continued support of the Sudanese government, in spite of what is happening in Darfur? If protesters in China are brutally silenced and imprisoned, then why not protest in places where free speech is a right, not a privlege?

[LiberalRebel2]

I salute your words. Now THAT is ethical thinking and morally higher ground then these here apologists of such filth as this current chinese atrocious government.

[Kane]

Protesters have every right to protest.

And there's no better time than now.

[Ramirez]

Protest is fine and is an appropriate method of drawing attention to your concerns..

Attacking an Olympic athlete carrying the torch is wrong.

[shanghaislim]

Fantastic Post Xander.

Why can't people separate sports from politics?

We do not see this in other areas of recreation and entertainment?

The people here and most of the world do not understand Chinese thinking. This will only resolve to make the Chinese more determined to control their own country and regions along with controlling their reputation. They will not be swayed by world protests. China is rapidly becoming the most dominant force on this Earth. They were once before and have designed a system (not the communists­..........­they have been around 50+ years) perfected over the last 2000 years that will prevail and stand long after the countries around the world disintegrate from within.

1000 years from now who and what will still be around? Any body taking bets on who?

[KPinSEA]

China has two goals in hosting the games: business and politics. You think the Party wanted an Olympics because of its affection for sport?

It's about promoting China as a modern state and expanding corporate business ties for them, so why should it be about something else for spectators? Talk about having your cake and eating it, too!

The current Chinese state is in a race ... between reforming its corrupt top-down power structure or being overthrown by yet another revolution as 800 million people decide it's inconsistent to retain the police state apparatus of the Chairman while completely ditching his commitment to an egalitarian society without a wealthy class. I wouldn't bet good money on the Chinese system as we know it today lasting another 50 years, never mind 1000. The only question is whether it will be torn down as peacefully as the Berlin Wall, or as violently as the government that preceded it.

[Ping]

The PRC are a bunch of murderers.

[jubo]

Because humanism - even if a theory - is supreme.

[LiberalRebel2]

"The people here and most of the world do not understand Chinese thinking.... by Shanghaislim"

Let me see if I want to understand Chinese thinking.....

1: "Mao D' zeh Thong" killing off several millions of his own people because he got an enlightening bright idea of a "cultural revolution"..do I want to understand that way of thinking or not?.......NOT!

2: Chinese likes to eat dogs..I do NOT want to understand THAT..LOL!

3: It is estimated that since 1959, 1.5 million Tibetans have died as a direct result of Chinese incursion into the country.....I can assure you I do not even respect your society especially much because of that...

What I would have loved to understand would have been to have that great Djingis and Kublai Khans still being the ones who ruled over the Chinese people. Not THAT I would have accepted and understood.

[YellowPanties]

"1000 years from now who and what will still be around? Any body taking bets on who?"

Not the Tibetans, because armchair dipshits like you will do nothing while they are being raped, murdered and driven from their homes.

[KOisGod]

I for one, will boycott WATCHING the CORPORATE games.


I'm sick to death of our materialistic ways, which place money over people.

[BalancedEgg]

European nations, including France, have a rich history of civil disobedience and protest in the face of governmental abuses of the people. Some of these protests were even given the highest honor of being called a "revolution". Perhaps the lethargic American with his shielded world view could actually learn a lesson here about what "taking it to the streets" actually looks like. Although it is not pretty, this is far more honest and effective than the neutered version of protest in America where we march and scream at empty governmental buildings on Sunday...after getting our permit, that is.

[waltontynerross]

Here! Here! Well put.

[LiberalRebel2]

Salut!!

[Swampy]

Want to be political? And fair? You blindered one-siders must agree what would've made more sense than futile attacks on passage of olympic fire would've been that transit of such a symbol were equally denied to all nations openly trying to put their nineteenth century jackboot heels onto the throats of others. Let's see now ; who'd be left? Iceland??

[LiberalRebel2]

Eap..no wait, and the island of Bora Bora..and.­.damn..the lost suddenly became to long...funny isn't it that small paradises are far off enough to not develop "that sickness". And like Tibet they can get run over by those who gets it. Oh dark irony!

[KPinSEA]

It was *always* a bad idea to award Beijing the games, for so many reasons it's hardly worth counting, but for some that seem painfully obvious now.

But this is what happens when the host city is picked through graft and cronyism. It's not about a good venue or a venue that embodies the Olympic spirit, it's about corporatism and lining the pockets of IOC members.

So people should protest ... the real consequences of the poor choices of the IOC shouldn't be papered over in the name of good P.R. If the Chinese are embarassed by what happens when the pure hypocrisy of a Beijing Olympics is examined in countries that *do* allow expression of a wide range of political opinions: good.

[Ramirez]

Anyone who attacks an Olympic athlete carrying the torch is an asshole.

[Economike]

I'd rather be an asshole than a complacent sheeple.

[Ramirez]

If you condone violence against Olympic athletes you are both.

[francoise]

I don't see the protests as attacks against the athletes.

People (like me) take advantage of the event which is relayed by the media to voice their opposition to the lack of freedoms and human rights in China.

People (like me) hope that some chineses, who are currently under arrest because of their "subversive" ideas against their government, will learn about foreigners all around the world supporting them morally.

In a more everyday approach, people (like me) try and avoid buying stuff made in China as much as possible. And even when it means buying one european pan or one american BBQ when with the same amount of money we could have bought ten chinese ones (but then who wants to get cooked or grilled food with lead !)

That's how some people feel it but I wouldn't assume to represent the majority.

[Ping]

Anyone who defends China is evil.

[Ramirez]

Attacking an Olympic athlete is not attacking China, and criticising this act of violence is not "defending China."

The Olympics are not about China.

[BalancedEgg]

These are the athletes who have CHOSEN to participate in the relay to Bejing. Other athletes have chosen to NOT participate, thereby exercising their freedom and protest in the face of the world powers that turn a blind eye to China's behaviors. Everyone lives with the choices they make, including the adult athletes that run through the streets of free nations carrying a symbol. Let the games begin!

[Ramirez]

"These are the athletes who have CHOSEN to participate in the relay to Bejing."

Right. Any victim of violence deserves it because they CHOSE to walk down the street.

[waltontynerross]

This seems like it should be one of those last in a series of lines you get on logic questions when taking a standardized test. Only this heavy-handed bit of vitriolic opinion defies any reasonable basis in fact.

The torch (and its world tour brought to you by Coke and Samsung--seriously, go look at the official web site) is a symbol. An act of protest is symbolic, too.

What, I wonder, could be more appropriate and in fact, more desirable and accommodating, than protesting a symbol as opposed to a person or persons?

[Ramirez]

Violence against an innocent individual is not protest. It's just violence.

[ZombieKiller]

To everyone defending the Olympics being in China, and criticizing the protestors: China has a terrible history of human rights abuses, especially towards the Tibetans. The Chinese government should not be legitimized by giving them the honor and prestige of hosting the Olympics. It's like Berlin 1936, but not quite as bad.

[Ramirez]

Then attack the Chinese embassy and leave the torch bearers alone.

[Ping]

The torch is a symbol of peace, humanity and brotherhood. The Chinese government does not deserve to be associated with such ideals.

[YellowPanties]

Ramirez The Mindless Wonder Dog now wants you to commit an act of terrorism against China! Go Wonder Dog, go! When Ramirez The Mindless Wonder Dog finishes washing his balls with his own tongue, maybe he'll make more sense. Stay tuned.

[FogBelter]

If the United States weren't so beholden to Communist China economically I have no doubt we would be boycotting the Olympics over China's Tibet aggression ... as it is, Bush will probably compliment the Communist Chinese in some way for their exemplary adherence to Human Rights at the opening of their Games.

[wmfor]

"Ah wanna thank our Chinese hosts for all they taught our interrogators at Gitmo."

[ZombieKiller]

I didn't know French policemen were as pushy and violent as their American counterparts.

[Armistead]

Hurray for the French!!! Let's hope us Americans take their lead and extinguish the flame when its come to San Francisco!!!

[Ping]

Extinguish the Flame.

[Ramirez]

Extinquish the hope.

[atomic]

The history of civilization is the history of violence against people and against nature. The chronicles of governments and monarchies are filled with slavery, murder, and betrayal for greed, power, and resources. We need a world wide revolution against the organized criminals that have sought to rule over the earth from the beginning of time. Bring down these unlawful governments including our own when it uses torture and violates human life for they have become nothing more than corrupt police states so the shadow elite can harvest us all like cattle.

[Blutus]

The history of the world is also full of people who tried to foment
"a world wide revolution", guys like Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Napolean, and Hitler.
The LAST thing we need is another world wide revolution.

What we need is to accept the realization that people are not the same.
So. lets let the world tribe up and leave each other alone.

No country on earth has the moral high ground required to tell other countries what to do.

When the Chinese or whomever are sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge one day,
then I will begin to care.

Until then, lets concentrate on getting the hell out of Iraq.

[G24]

If you see Hitler, Khan, Tamerlane and Napoleon as good examples of people who tried to start human rights revolutions, you are seriously disturbed.

I agree with your short term foreign policy views. But my guess is that Atomic was expressing a sentiment more than anything. I don't think many of us fool ourselves into believing we are quite their yet. Some of us like to believe that we keep progressing toward a time where there might be enough support for that kind of thing. And at that point, hell, who knows if a chaotic revolution would even be necessary anymore. Either way, I think Atomic was expressing a sentiment, which I heartily agree with.

[VictorLudorum]

UK and France officials are reason for irritateing protection­ism.......­..........­..........­.. web privacxy.the taught children wrong message because its choice but they stood behind individual­s.....toda­y hardly 3/4/percent americans are talking ligit rest our in masquerade­/hooded...­...the businesses have pages like advertiseing themselves ..the big show is not on yet!...........to hire thier own fall......­..........­..........­....

[YellowPanties]

How dare those people allow the genocide of the Tibetans to intrude on our games!

[WillPower]

The whole point of The Olympics is to bring nations together without politics and to showcase elite athletes. It's a shame that the Games often turn into platforms for protests.

Does anyone really think spraying a torch with a fire extinguisher will help the Tibetans?

[YellowPanties]

Yes. Exposure will help Tibet.

As yourself if the Chinese were Nazi Germany, would you still feel so glib about competing in their games?

China is covering up, hiding, and throwing down the hole all of its ugly little secrets so that when the world shows up on their doorstep, they will appear to be a "modern" state.

China's record of human rights abuses is legendary.

The only weapon we have against this brutal totalitarian state is public opinion garnered through the media. Without peaceful protests like this, the issue is swept under the rug.

And for Americans, certainly, it is out of sight out of mind.

It's important to remind China and the world that democracy is a value we fought for and still hold sacred.

China should never have been awarded an Olympic Games.

[WillPower]

Peaceful protest? I'm sure the poor person holding the torch when some idiot sprayed the fire extinguisher didn't think it was so peaceful. Or the police trying to hold back that "peaceful" crowd.

We participated in the Nazi games. Remember how Hitler's master race was shown up by Jesse Owens?

I'll agree that China shouldn't have been awarded the Olympics. But they have The Games and it shouldn't be a platform for Tibet protests, or any other protests for that matter.

[Ping]

Yes it sends the Communist Party a message.

[WillPower]

What message? That some unwashed loudmouths will disrupt some torch ceremony somewhere?

The commie leaders will say, "Let's pull out of Tibet. Some long-hairs wearing bad clothes and Birkenstocks in Europe have a fire extinguisher."

Insulting the Chinese or sending a message won't help the Tibetans.

[wmfor]

Actually, at present one of the major points of the Olympics is to serve as a marketing tool for major corporations--and the Chinese government is one of those corporations.

[CitizenRob]

First: I am sympathetic to the Tibetan cause.

Now that I've stated that, I'd like to point out that the Olympics, with their 1000 year ancient history served as a place for humanity to celebrate the best of it's own nature. The original games were a testament to the perfection of the human form as created by the Greek gods. Wars were stopped in honor of the Olympiad. Today the games are a world wide event where every nation puts forward their best and strongest. It serves as a competition and showcase of the fitness of the human form, and also an opportunity for good will between ALL people on this planet.

Anybody who boycotts the games due to political disagreements forsakes all of humanity in their attempt to score meaningless points in a petty protest that would have no real world impact.

[YellowPanties]

Boycotting the Olympics hurts the athletes and so that is wrong, I agree.

This is not a boycott, this is a protest.

When the world is watching, peaceful protest on behalf of a people being exterminated is the least you can do between reaching for your TV remote and your Big Mac.

[Ping]

Screw the athletes they are professionals. The athletes are sponsored and paid for.

[CitizenRob]

This is NOT about the athletes. Sure there are human stories there which the Olympic broadcasters like to tell us, but the Olympics are about showcasing humanities best from every nation.

Sponsored, or not, paid or not, commercialized, or not, the event is a tradition in which we put aside our differences for a few weeks and come together as human beings.

As a liberal I'm offended by these protesters who have lost sight of what their goals are to the point where one incident (China's brutal attack on Tibet) over shadows the need to participate in the ONE event our planet has that brings EVERY nation together in good will, friendship, and healthy sportsmanship.

[starrianna]

Oh my gosh those Frenchies are so BRAVE!

Maybe I should go out and eat my Freedom Fries and then crawl back to my condo in the middle of the night without calling anyone so that the government won't see or hear me.

Am I allowed to call them French Fries again, or will I get in trouble?

[YellowPanties]

Your post doesn't even make any sense.