Apr

8

Olympic torch relay: Protests spread to US

Filed Under World News | Posted By Jennifer Sullivan |

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Three pro-Tibet protesters scaled San Francisco’s landmark Golden Gate Bridge on Monday, as protests against China regarding Olympic torch’s arrival in the United States.

The protesters spread out a giant banner saying “One World, One Dream” and “Free Tibet 08.”

The protest ended peacefully at around 1:00pm, when the protester climbed from the bridge and were arrested.

The daredevil protest came as Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton urged President George W Bush to boycott the inaugration of the Beijing Olympics, saying he should push China over Tibet and Darfur.

Police officials in San Francisco say a strict security will be placed on Wednesday to avoid any scenes in Paris. Several hundred police are likely to line the streets for the only appearance of the torch in the US during its 21-country journey, arranging for earlier torch runs in the city.

However authorities seemed to have been caught cold by Monday’s protest at Golden Gate Bridge. The protestors scooted up the bridge’s cables and unfolded their giant banner.

A man asserting to be one of the climbers told a local radio station from his perch that he belongs to Students for a Free Tibet and hoped to focus world attention to China’s policy in the Himalayan region.

Anger over China’s actions in Tibet has been growing in San Francisco, where the city’s political leadership passed a symbolic declaration last week to welcome the Olympic torch with “protest and alarm.”

Tsering Gyurmey, secretary of the Tibetan Association of Northern California, said protestors would be encouraged to protest peacefully.

“I think in London and Paris people wanted to be calm, but they see the torch come through and see it as stained with Tibetan blood.”

Meanwhile, Clinton held that Bush should not be present at August’s opening ceremony in Beijing unless there were “major amendments” by the Chinese government.

“The sadistic clashes in Tibet and the failure of the Chinese government to use its full influence with Sudan to prevent the genocide in Darfur are occasions for presidential leadership,” Clinton said.

Bush plans to attend the games, as compared to German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s plans to miss the ceremony, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s disclosure that he may adhere to suit.



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