http://www.qando.net/ - Olympic torch runner shows Tibetan flag during run

A New Yorker bearing the Olympic torch staged a rogue anti-China protest Wednesday even as cops took extreme measures to thwart demonstrators in San Francisco.

As she ran with the flame, Majora Carter, 41, a South Bronx environmental activist, whipped out a small Tibetan flag to condemn China's human rights abuses in the Himalayan province.

Carter, who hid the flag in her sleeve, was quickly hustled off the route by surprised police who seized the torch.

"I was expressing my right as an American citizen using freedom of speech in support of people who don't have it," Carter said. "It just became really clear to me what was going on in Tibet and I wanted to do something."

Carter said a Chinese paramilitary squad escorting the torch pounced and turned her over to cops, who pushed her into the crowd.

"Apparently, I'm not part of the Olympic torch-bearing entourage anymore," Carter quipped.

Heh ... I guess not. I got a bit of a chuckle out of that.

Somehow I think security will be checking runners for just such, uh, accessories during the remainder of the torch runs.

I have to wonder if the IOC isn't going to have to rethink the entire torch run thingie for the future. While protests against China are wildly popular now, this pretty much opens the door on any torch run to protest just about anything anyone can dream up against a host country. And there are few countries I know of who are immune to protests. Especially with this new class of professional protesters we now seem to have.

This torch run has given protesters the thing they most desperately seek - visibility. It'll be interesting to see how they and the IOC react.

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I have no problem with the IOC terminating their relationship with the runner the instant she did that.

I do have a problem with the police being the ones to immediately enforce that. It should be like any company you quit from. It should be private security and/or representatives that first confront you and if the incident appears like it might get physical, then the police can be called in.

The difference seems subtle, I know, but the police are to keep the peace not enforce IOC mandates.

Written By: jpm100
URL: http://

I am curious about why a Chinese ’paramilitary’ (and I suspect the para is purely a diplomatic subterfuge) squad is escorting the torch in our country, and why they felt free to ’pounce’ on an American citizen peacefully excersising her rights.

Written By: timactual
URL: http://

The Chinese officials should be arrested and charged with assault - period. That was an American citizen on an American street.

Written By: LC23
URL: http://

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