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Thursday 10th April 2008

Olympic Torch Relay 2008

Something I’m currently fascinated by is the Olympic Torch Relay, something I’m sure my Twitter followers will testify. I’ve been enthusiastically posting my observations of the torch relay to Twitter over the course of the last week. Today, I thought I’d create a post summarising those thoughts.

In Context

I think the first thing to do is provide some information on what it is I’m referring to. On 8th August 2008, Beijing, China will host the world’s largest and most prestigious sporting event, the Olympic and Paralymic Games. This in itself is a controversial issue, as many believe China hasn’t earned the right to host such an event. China has a long history of human rights issues, and more recently, has provoked criticism from the global community on it tight grasp on Tibet. Back in 1949, China staged an armed invasion of Tibet, despite the Tibetans having declared independence further back in 1911 when China’s internal political structure was in turmoil. Today, international aid agencies and journalists are not allowed in and Tibetans who oppose China’s occupation are reportedly severely punished. As part of the run-up to the games, the Beijing Organising Committee have arranged for one of the most ambitious Olympic Torch relays ever attempted. The original plan saw the torch travelling 137,000 km, through 21 countries, over the course of 130 days. The relay has been dubbed, the “Journey of Harmony”.

But harmonious it certainly isn’t. The relay started in Olympia, Greece, where the Olympic flame was lit by the rays of the sun. Despite being carefully choreographed, the ceremony was disrupted. As a Chinese diplomat delivered his speech, a member of Reporters Without Borders managed to run behind him, unfurling a banner which depicted the Olympic rings as handcuffs. The camera quickly panned away, but the damage was done and the world media got their story. The disruption spilled onto the streets as the flame was taken away from the ancient site of Olympia and through Athens. Pro-Tibet and Pro-Human Rights demonstrators made their feelings very clear. While many waved Tibetan flags and unfurled banners from balconies, some tried laying in the path of the procession, before being met by the heavy hand of Greek security teams.

Although it was only day one of the relay, many were now anticipating further protests as the flame made its way around the world.

After Athens, the flame visited Beijing, where obviously there was no trouble, Almaty in Kazakhstan, Istanbul, Turkey, where there were minor protests and then St. Petersburg, Russia. On 6th April 2008, the torch arrived in London, United Kingdom, where the fun really started.

London

It took the protesters just five minutes to cause the Police to be concerned about the day ahead. Just as the second torch bearer attempted to board an open-top double-decker bus, a Pro-Tibetan demonstrator broke through the cordon and attempted to board as well. Police quickly bundled the man to the floor and took him away. It was the start of a day of absolute chaos and farce. A little bit further down the route, another man broke through the line of Police and grabbed hold of the torch, causing a violent tussle. Other protesters tried to put out the flame with a fire extinguisher. When the flame reached Whitehall and Downing Street, a very large group of protesters broke through the fences and ran alongside it, forcing the Police entourage to run along the pavement of a road which was busy with traffic. In the melee, an ITV news cameraman was twice pushed to the floor by Police and repeatedly kicked. At St Paul’s Cathedral, Police was so panicked by the number of protesters, the flame was extinguished and the entourage boarded a bus surrounded by riot police and travelled a considerable distance before the crowds decreased and they returned to foot. In the closing stages, 50 police officers and 12 Chinese para-military officers surrounded the flame. The scuffles continued and by the end of the day a total of 35 people were arrested. Anyone lining the route simply to witness the flame passing by would have had serious difficulty in seeing through the high police presence. It was a tense, farcical and frankly ridiculous occasion.

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Paris

The scenes in London spread to Paris two days later. Demonstrators from Reporters Without Borders managed to unfurl a large banner from the Eiffel Tower, similar to the banner unfurled in Olympia. All along the route, the torch was met with protesters, some Pro-China, but mostly Pro-Tibet. Despite 3,000 police officers along the route, riding motorcycles, jogging or on skates, the risk of public unrest was too high and after three unplanned stops, the relay was eventually abandoned. The flame finished it’s journey across the city away from the public gaze on a bus.

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San Francisco

On 9th April, the flame made it’s only visit to North America. The violence seen in London and Paris was replaced by anger and disappointment as city authorities, faced with thousands of demonstrators on the streets waiting to disrupt the procession, made a series of last minute changes to the plans. A majority of the legitimate spectators who had been standing on the street for hours before the relay was due to start didn’t see anything at all. If anything, the scenes in San Francisco were more farcical than those witnessed in London and Paris. After a 40 minute delay, the torch was lit at a planned event in front of an invited group of local Chinese community members. From there, the torch was carried down a narrow path and into a warehouse. For the next half an hour, news channels around the world broadcast live pictures of the warehouse. What is evident now is that in this time, the organisers were putting together a contingency plan. The plan was to smuggle the flame out of the warehouse in a non-descript bus and conduct the relay several miles away without telling anyone. And that’s what happened. Luckily, the news helicopters were on the ball and managed to capture the start of the relay. The torch bearers, surrounded by a heavy presence of police wielding metre-long batons and on motorbikes, jogged through empty residential streets happily waving at nobody while thousands of Pro-Chinese spectators waited at the waterfront where the flame was due to pass, oblivious to the fact the relay was taking place several miles away and that the closing ceremony had been cancelled. Anti-China supporters used the news helicopters to home in on the relay and there were some scuffles. But it was too late. The only people to have seen the torch pass by were those not intending to go and see it. When the procession of police vehicles reached the Golden Gate bridge, the torch was unceremoniously put out and the entourage filed onto buses. The San Francisco Olympic Torch Relay was over.

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Buenos Aires (Updated 11/04)

I’m currently watching live scenes from Buenos Aires as it makes it only visit to South America. Things appear to be going much more smoothly on this leg. The wall of police and security is just as large as it has been in London, Paris and San Francisco. There have been a few scuffles and two water balloons were thrown at the torch, but at this time, the atmosphere it much more celebratory and not nearly as tense.

My Thoughts

I’m not sure where I stand with this whole situation. I’m certainly against China and its human rights records, and I’m against their continued heavy-handed occupation of Tibet so I suppose I’m against China being awarded the games. But I am in favour of the Olympics themselves. I enjoy the spectacle of it and I enjoy watching the multitude of sport. I love that thousands of athletes can achieve their potential and reach their goals. I don’t think the Olympics is a force for good and harmony. It’d be nice if it was, but I’m pretty sure the hearts of the world leaders aren’t going to melt after watching a bit of fencing or skeet. In the history of the games, nothing has happened in terms of political reconciliation as a result of them. The only positive thing to come from them is the individual achievement of the athletes. I’m not fooled by the slogans of hope, unity and peace.

As for the Olympic Torch Relay, it’s just a marketing tool and I don’t think it being disrupted is a bad thing at all. If it gets people talking about important issues such as Tibet, then that’s a good thing. The multitude of irony of the way to torch relay is being conducted and the fact it was invented by the Nazis for the Berlin games in 1936 is certainly not lost on me, and I’m sure many others. I wait with anticipation to see what happens next.

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Credits

Tanya N (Photos 1 & 2), Ollografik (Photo 3) and Steve Rhodes (Photo 4).

3 Comments

I am mixed on the idea of an independent Tibet. I think every nation has the right for self-determination, be it Tibet, Quebec or Scotland. However at the same time do we really need another country that will rely on foreign aid forever? Do we really need another Theocracy in the world? Probably not.
The Chinese however have a problem with their justification for the occupation of Tibet. They state that it was a vassal state and effectively part of China. If this is the case for integration into the country of China then I expect to see Chinese troops entering Seoul tomorrow. Korea shared the same status as Tibet for hundreds of years. The logic is flawed.
Speaking of Korea. When Korea was awarded the Olympics in 1983 (?), the nation was under the control of a brutal military dictatorship that had recently ordered a brutal crackdown in Gwangju (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_Massacre) which affected my family as my wife’s family were caught up in it. What happened with the awarding of the games was a promise from the government that elections would take place and that democracy would be restored (well, it was never a reality really in Korea). When this didn’t look likely, people took to the streets in protest in 1987 and made the generals keep their promises. The first democratic elections were held that year. The 1988 games went without a hitch, Seoul transformed from an overpopulated backward metropolis it was into a modern city with all the trappings of a first world nation.

Any real change within China has to be initiated by the people. Taking away the games from China is not so much making a point to the CCP, but is an insult to the people of China. What has the average Chinese person done to us? Nothing. This is a games for the people. Let’s leave it as that.

It’s interesting to see that people are keen on punishing China via the Olympics, but they won’t boycott Chinese made products… Look at the trade imbalance between China and the US! China is too important to really mess with…

How come no one ever talks about Burma anymore?

San on 15 April 2008 @ 12am

you can not use the word “occupation”!Tibet is a part of china.when you express such opinions,you don know how angry all the chinese are! We chinese just want a peacefull life and people in china can get united together to make our country stronger,just as what you want.So my dear friend,if you get the chance,come here and have a look,you will see everything clearly.

banli on 28 May 2008 @ 6am

Thanks a lot for your comments banli. Tibet is an issue where opinions run strong and I’m in no doubt the Chinese people are put out by criticism of their government. I tried in this article to be as unbiased and balanced as I could. The term ‘occupation’ is pretty ambiguous and doesn’t necessarily mean China is occupying land that doesn’t belong to them. Indeed, it could be argued that the British are occupying the island known as Great Britain. The region called Tibet is contested and so I think using the word ‘occupation’ is legitimate in this case.

I’d love to go to China and see for myself what it’s like. Whether I’ll see everything clearly though is another matter for debate.

Matt on 28 May 2008 @ 2pm

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