Torch+in+San+Francisco+3

__The Torch In San Francisco__ By: Ben, Alan, and Andrew

Ben For San Francisco, the Olympic torch extravaganza became more of a protest than celebration. Pro-Tibet groups and supporters of the Beijing Games came to the streets before dawn as the Olympic torch made its only North American stop with heavy security and worries about a repeat of messy protests in London and Paris. At AT&T Park, police lined the streets hours before the planned opening ceremony as bomb-sniffing dogs inspected trash cans. Pro-China groups came in front of the stadium early, chanting and waving Chinese flags. The torch was to have been carried on a six-mile, relay along the city's waterfront, but officials shortened the route and lessened the number of torchbearers. All week long, San Francisco officials tried to find a balance between protesters, who planned to use the occasion of the torch’s visit to protest the Chinese human rights record and recent issues in Tibet, and its own Chinese community, which was largely in favor of the torch relay.

Alan San Francisco has not been the first place of controversy over the past weeks. Chinese officials had originally hoped that the torch relay would serve to show China’s emergence as a global power. But it has turned into a platform for angry protesters over the Chinese takeover in Tibet. In London a day earlier, pro-Tibetan demonstrators also turned the torch’s progression through the streets into a giant brawl between the police and protesters. 35 people were arrested. In San Francisco on Monday, several protesters climbed the suspension cables of the Golden Gate Bridge and unraveled two banners reading, “One World, One Dream,” and “Free Tibet 08.” At least seven people were arrested.

Andrew San Francisco is the perfect place for a big protest. So people are starting to get concerned that the friendly celebration for the torch may turn into a protest about China’s human rights problem and there controversies with Tibet. Hopefully, the protestors will be a little less violent than they were in Paris, were they pelted the torch carrier with plastic bottles and cups which actually made the rally have to be cut short due to security concerns. Police officer’s days off have been canceled and they have been asked to be on patroll at the torch celebration. Also all restaurants will not be able to sit people on their patio. In adition the area right above will be a no flight zone. The coast guard will have some boats patrolling the bay area.

Pictures The international tour hasn’t helped Beijing’s reputation. What organizers had predicted a time to celebrate the Olympics’ morals of peace and harmony has turned into a contest between supporters of China, and demonstrators protesting against China.

Photo By: Laughing Squid Photo By: Laughing Squid

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