Chinese Torture Torch Relay Shames Olympic Ideals

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