Protesters Hold Human Rights Torch Relay

Rally Highlights Alleged Abuses In China Before Olympic Torch's Arrival In San Francisco

(AP)  Demonstrators rallied in Union Square Saturday to protest alleged human rights abuses in China ahead of the Olympic torch's arrival in San Francisco.

More than 200 people took part in the "Human Rights Torch Relay," one of several protests planned before the Olympic torch makes its only North American appearance in San Francisco on Wednesday.

Saturday's protest was part of international campaign organized by members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement that is banned in China.

The Human Rights Torch Relay is designed to draw attention to China's alleged torture and imprisonment of religious and political dissidents. It has traveled through cities around the world since it was lit in Athens in August.

Among the torchbearers at Saturday's relay was John Carlos, the bronze medal-winning sprinter known for raising his fist as a symbol of black power at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

The Board of Supervisors recently passed a nonbinding resolution protesting China's human rights record and calling for an investigation into China's actions in Tibet and its treatment of dissidents.

Mayor Gavin Newsom has called the opportunity to host the Olympics torch an extraordinary honor, saying the flame is about sports, not politics.

[noloyalisti]

I am glad to see our chief trading partner taking some heat for their genocide. I get tired of all the protests of the rogue states of America and Israel. Even though China has done nothing as bad as those bad actors, at least people realize some of the truth.

[kansas1946]

Here''''s an even better way to protest the Chinese Olympics... stop buying plastic *** made in China!!! The Chinese government might actually care about that kind of protest.


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Posted by Glock4me at 10:57 PM : Apr 06, 2008
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That is truly the way to bring about change. Hit the pocket book. It works here in the US and it will work there. The only problem is, it is hard to find products NOT made in China, although they are around. I have even bought things marked "made in India, or Brazil" to keep from buying Chinese products. There are web-sites out there that list companies that make American and are owned-American.

[pfd572]

How can you separate the Games from the politics. By awarding the Games to China in the first place, we were asked to suspend our indignation for the atrocities committed by the Chinese government. You can''t condemn on one hand and reward on the other. The games will be used as POLITICAL propaganda by the government. So its impossible to separate the two.

[pfd572]

Now Paris and the French people have something to be proud of: they have succeeded in having the torch extinguished and forced to be transported by bus to keep it away from protesters. Its also to be applauded that, at least so far, most of the demonstrations have been non-violent, at least on the side of the protesters. The governments have acted like bullies to stop the protests, have to keep China happy so she won''t stop providing goods the governments want.

BOYCOTT THE OLYMPICS. CHANGE CHANNELS.

[pfd572]

iamauto: another ignorant, and woefully pathetic comment from a woefully pathetic person.
usncvm2: your comment isn''t just full of typing and grammatical errors, its also full of ****, its bigoted, insensitive to the oppression in China and Tibet, and just exposes you for the immature and ridiculous embarrassment you are.

[pfd572]

brianbwb: why do people have to pick one atrocity over another? We are perfectly capable of acting for improvements or against more than one unfortunate action/activity/government, etc, and people are doing just that every day. The examples are many. I wish people would learn the facts before they condemn people for doing something in support of other human beings. I think is admirable that people support and act for change for the people of Tibet, Darfur, the Sudan, and for the victims of bigotry and unfair practices in the United States. They aren''t just sitting back and ridiculing the ones actually trying to make positive changes.

[pfd572]

SCOTTYUSA: You can''t separate the politics from the games, stupid (response in kind). The Chinese have committed numerous human rights crimes in preparation for the games, so the politics are part and parcel of the games. They have locked up dissidents, used forced labor, imprisoned the homeless, impaired and mentally handicapped to trick the world into believing all is wonderful in Beijing. Fortunately, except for insensitive and moronic idiots like you, it hasn''''t worked. People aren''t fooled. Tibet is just the rallying point, it isn''t the exception. Check you facts, your ignorance is offensive and enormous.

[tulcak]

Let''''''''s drop a nuclear bomb in Beijing!
Those chinese hans are unworthy to have human rights.


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Posted by iamauto
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uh, we are talking about HUMAN RIGHTS, correct? and you want to drop a nuke.... what kind of warped thinking is this?

[iamauto]

Let''''s drop a nuclear bomb in Beijing!
Those chinese hans are unworthy to have human rights.

[glock4me]

Here''s an even better way to protest the Chinese Olympics... stop buying plastic *** made in China!!! The Chinese government might actually care about that kind of protest.

[scottyusa]

The olympics should not be politicized like this. It is the only gesture of good will that we have left between nations and it should be sacred. The idiots in Britain that tried to put out the torch do nothing to advance their cause. In fact it will probably (hopefully) backfire. Now Fan Francisco is trying to figure out how they are going to try and ruin this as well. I am not surprised. If the big one came and made California a island it would be fine with me. Than all them liberals could have their own nation to mess up.

[usmcvn2]

If San Franciscoians had thier way, China would br having g*ay pride prades. ROFL

[brianbwb-2009]

"Among the torchbearers at Saturday''s relay was John Carlos, the bronze medal-winning sprinter known for raising his fist as a symbol of black power at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City."

An admirable gesture, to be sure, but I do wish Mr. Carlos would use his stature to highlight the continued existence of the American brand of apartheid that was the reason he raised his defiant fist in Mexico City. A glance at some of the comments on various topics here at CBS and the other news comments demonstrate clearly that such problems still live and claim victims in America.

Let us clean our own house before we complain about the neighbor''s mess...

[rowdytexan2]

Why didn''t they think of all this when they awarded the Olympics to China? Had they forgotten about Tienanmen square?

Doesn''t look like this is going to be pretty!