SF Braces for Olympic Protests

April 7, 2008 — -- Three people climbed San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge on Monday, pausing only to unravel a flag reading "One World, One Dream, FreeTibet.org," in the first protest on U.S. soil surrounding the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

The traditional Olympic torch relay, which is set to make its first and only stop in the United States on Wednesday, has been followed not only by the usual onslaught of Olympic fans and onlookers, but also by critics and protestors enraged over China's stance on human rights, particularly in Tibet.

Olympic officials were forced to put out the torch on five different occasions during the relay through Paris on Monday, preventing protestors from grabbing at it and eventually forcing the relay's cancellation.

"Never before has this happened," said Anthony Bykerk, the secretary general of the International Society of Olympic Historians, of the protests surrounding the Olympic torch. "This is the first time that the torch relay has ever been an element of protest, it's usually a very big celebration."

While protests and political agendas have often come to the forefront during and leading up to Olympics, said Bykerk, the events of the past couple of days — and the San Francisco incident — are especially troubling.

"This is worse because now they are protesting against the torch relay which has nothing to do with politics but is supposed to be a symbol of unity — not used as protest," said Bykerk. "If these people want to protest against the human rights question in Tibet, they should have done it 50 years ago."

And with just a day before the torch comes to the U.S., protest groups are rallying their supporters and officials are scrambling to prepare for what may be another display of anti-China sentiment.

State Department Spokesperson Sean McCormack, who told reporters Monday that the department is working with local law enforcement in San Francisco in preparation for the torch's arrival, emphasized the importance of finding a balance between the rights of the protestors and the rights of the event's organizers.