Liveblogging the Torch of Shame

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There I was, all ready to greet the torch with peaceful protest. I live on the Embarcadero, a block from the ballyard, where the torch run was set to commence. Last night the police came by dropping barricades all the way down the block. This morning the sun shone brightly on the waterfront, illuminating the signs my husband and I picked up at last night's prayer vigil. Thanks to the Save Darfur ("China: Extinguish the Flames of Genocide in Darfur") and Students for a Free Tibet ("Olympics in China; Torture in Tibet") coalitions, we bore witness to the human rights struggle and the quest for freedom.

By noon, hundreds of pro-freedom protesters were out in force to issue a full-throated defense of peace and dialogue. Spilling into the streets, the Safe Darfur and Free Tibet marchers carried their banners. A few Chinese flags were in attendance, too, mixing it up with Dalai Lama supporters. But then a strange thing happened: the torch did not pass.

For all the big talk of putting on a show, all that free speech obviously overwhelmed the authorities. Instead of braving a peaceful gauntlet of freedom fighters, the torch was secreted away to an alternate route. Encased by police and barricaded by a SWAT team, the torch movement was barely visible to a TV crowd. And what is the ironic takeaway as we await the rescheduled, secluded "closing" ceremonies? The protesters did not extinguish the Olympic flame today -- the authorities did.

Comments

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Ah the irony.

Christine Pelosi blogging about free speach.

While she or HuffPo PURGE the comments.

It's too delicious.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Christine: Would YOU impeach?

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Hi Mom. It's me. Christine. Your favey wavey weedle SuperDelegate.

Listen, while "the accessory" and I were waiting for the torch to pass, I couldn't help think of how Duhbya's been, you know, torching the Constitution.

Just thought you'd get a kick out of that.

You looked great on TV, btw.

Love ya.

[M.S. Bellows, Jr. - Huffpost Blogger]

"Pinging" anyone who"d like a chance to take action to help Tibet:

I don"t trust China"s good faith enough to make "dialogue" the test for whether or not world leaders will boycott the opening ceremonies " but there"s a cleaner, more significant test. This morning, the Dalai Lama said he WANTS to attend the Opening Ceremonies himself. President Bush and every other world leader should seize the opportunity that presents by telling China that their attendance is contingent on China letting the Dalai Lama attend. If China allowed it, it would be a huge shift in policy (and a great PR coup for the Tibetan cause) " and the Dalai Lama probably could keep Tibetan protesters in check, and would go out of his way to make his hosts look good, all huge benefits for China. If they don"t allow him to attend, then they"ll have only themselves to blame for the P.R. debacle that would result from a massive boycott. It"s elegant, IMHO.

I know I"m blogw***ing, but I"d like to get this idea out into the mainstream. If anyone wants to help promote the idea ("we won"t go unless the Dalai Lama can go"), there"s contact info for the White House, the candidates, etc. on this Huffington Post blog:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/m.s.-bellows/activism-you-can-do-send_b_96043.html

Thanks!

[JJK]

I think we're letting the real villans off the hook in the Torch Charade. I saw in the media over the last 24 hours that Jacques Rogge is ruing the failure of the Chinese leaders to abide by what he describes as their "moral engagement" to improve China's Human Rights behavior in conjunction with their being awarded the 2008 Olympics. Surprise, surprise! The Chinese are now saying that the consequences of any such "engagement" would represent an unwarranted intrusion of "politics" onto the pristine Olympic stage, of which they are now presenting themselves as staunch defenders.

Well, Hello! M. Rogge, it's time for you and your IOC colleagues to wake up and smell le cafe. What EXACTLY did you expect? The only players who are being consistent in this whole mess are the Chinese themselves. They are doing now what any reasonable person would have expected them to do when they were conning and strong-arming the IOC into awarding them the Olympics in the first place. They are claiming that they never contemplated any such "moral engagement" and are shocked, shocked!, that anyone would suggest a connection between their woeful behavior and their status as appropriate Olympic hosts.

The IOC made its bed and now its sleeping among its lumps. Don't blame the cops in San Francisco.

[ReallyEvilCanine]

Speaker Pelosi,

There are a lot of other things which are more important than whining about the Nazi-based tradition of running around with a firey stick to celebrate the opening of what has become nothing more than a way to milk corporations for billions. IMPEACH CHENEY AND BUSH (in that order). Protect the country. You'll get to be president until next January!

What's so hard for you to understand about this? Not only is Bush making things worse now, once a Democrat wins the election in November he'll have just under three months to pardon all his cronies and make the current situation even worse than it already is for the incoming president. Do what we sent you to Washington to do. If it means that half of Congress will be out due to being complicit, so be it.

[Christine Pelosi - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks for sharing but I am Christine (see above).

[kroenung58]

Since the entire concept of a torch run was invented out of whole cloth by the Nazis for the 1936 Olypmics, in order to disguise what they really were, I'd say China is getting hosed in exactly the way it deserves, by a big flaming light being shined on its foul little government.
This isn't just about Tibet, though that's bad enough. It's also about being a repressive police state that gives people decades in prison for daring to point out any type of embarrassing political problem (Dick Cheney's dream nation, I guess). You need exponential notation to count the bodies of freedom-lovers this loathesome government has racked up. They sowed, and now the reaping is happening. Don't cry for them.
I sponsor a 5 year-old Tibetan redfugee girl who has to live in India with her impoverished parents because the Chinese committed cultural genocide. I know what I'm talking about.

[gyggle]

Only a few Chinese flags? That's not what I see on TV and from the many photos on line.

Why do you need to lie about this?

[gyggle]

Only a few Chinese flags? That's not what I see in the many photos on line.

Why do you think you need to lie about this??

[Christine Pelosi - Huffpost Blogger]

Yes a few. And they gave as good as they got. No reason for the torch not to cross their path. So there's no need for you to call me a liar (twice). Your nasty and baseless personal attacks will not silence me. My activism transcends the pettiness from anonymous bloggers and commenters.

[BongWater]

Torch of shame.

Is that like the table of shame?

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Ka-SMACK

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Wow. I cannot believe this comment survived the purge.

Now that I've called attention to it, I give it 12 hours, tops.

[Countess]

When we stop holding people indefinitely without charges and stop torturing people and stop invading countries and destroying them for no reason perhaps we can begin lecturing other countries.

[jonesgen57]

Wrong. Just because Bush sent our military into Iraq doesn't mean I can't say "China out of Tibet!" Maybe you are a totalitarian, but I believe that America is made up of individuals who each have their own voice. Its in the constitution.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

So is IMPEACHMENT.

[cfinnie]

I too was there as an ACLU legal observer. There were dozens of us stationed along the supposed parade route to ensure free-speech rights were respected by the SFPD. They were. It was the city government that did not respect the people, as Christine says.

The city had to have spent millions for this sham. Pavilions were erected in the park for the closing ceremony that never happened. Barricades went up on streets. Equipment and personnel were deployed all over--at great cost I'm sure. And families milled around waiting for hours, only to lead the children away with apologies. Families of torch bearers wandered the streets trying to find their loved ones for a glimpse of the big moment. Reporters huddled around laptops and radios trying to find out what was happening where. Dance groups waited in costume for hours to welcome the torch to their adopted country and city. The leader of one of these groups hushed young men standing behind his troop when they shouted at pro-Tibet marchers. I told him later I admired his restraint. He said to ensure free speech for all, we had to behave in a civilized manner and that he admired the words of Albert Einstein, who said peace can never be enforced by violence.

Chris

[msfiskvletterman]

4/10/08
8:58am
Alexandria, VA

If there is a "torch of shame" it belongs in San Francisco. Thanks, guys, for backstabbing me when I needed help with civil rights violations. I was in Speaker Pelosi's office several times to request assistance. Finally just got the h... out of the city.

Don't worry about China if your own house is not in order.

[Angelaaaa]

I see that the Jacques Rogge on behalf of the IOC has asked China to honour its commitment to improve its human rights record now that it has been awarded the Olympic Games. Bit bloody late.

[garbovatwins]

Violence and hate will not turn it into a torch of love. That must come from within, and soon, or your species will not survive.