PalenQ

(summarizing a BBC radio report)

The Olympic Torch Relay will wind its way this Sunday thru the heart of London, starting off at Wembley Stadium, then heading to a focal point in Trafalgar Square for ceremonies i guess

then by Downing Street, where Gordon Brown is supposed to participate and then along the thames to end in Greenwich in southeast London

Officials are justly concerned that there could be problems with Tibetan sympathizers and protestors - especially when the Chinese Ambassador holds torch court in Trafalgar (apparently she pulled out once but now is back on the agenda)

Police will be out in force

even in Greenwich, where the local police force can't even prevent a whole bowling green being stolen in broad daylight.

Have no fear CW will be on special duty for the Torch Relay

PalenQ

CW is no doubt closeted with his fellow constables all day today seiously planning how to maintain security during the Greenwich part of the torch parade.

I expect he will be incommunicado all day because of that. Seriously.

flanneruk

"especially when the Chinese Ambassador holds torch court.."

Something the "keep politics out of sport" imbeciles should bear in mind... Interesting, isn't it, how they always come out with this mantra to justify tolerating sport encouraged by regimes (like apartheid South Africa or Nazi Germany) that are only too anxious to use sport to uphold their repellent politics

PalenQ

I wonder what similar if any protests the Stratford 2012 Olympics will spur?

already outside the Stratford Jubilee Line station in Feb i was met by several older ladies passing out leaflets on preventing nuclear waste trains from running right by the Olympic Stadium site - and yes a couple of freight lines do run right by it

how that this would be a target for terrorists not only during the games when presumably such shipments would be halted but in the years leading up to the games

Like World Trade meetings cities bidding Olympic Games better really ask themselves is it worth the trouble?

djuna

I doubt any Olympic city in the near future will dredge up the bad taste that Beijing is creating.... Not many other places in the world, that can hold a full scale Olympics, can claim the terrible record of Human Rights abuses that China does.
These Olympics should be boycotted. If the athletes really knew what the problems were I think that they would realize that their legacy would be worth far more if they aborted for the right reasons, than if they just for the sake of sports, took part...
I wonder how many 'tourists' will really support the Olympics in China?
Should be interesting.

Cholmondley_Warner

CW is no doubt closeted with his fellow constables all day today seiously planning how to maintain security during the Greenwich part of the torch parade.>>>>>

Pal. It's ALL bloody greenwich and yes. double bubble all round.

I'm inclined (just between you and me - no one else reads this stuff right?) to let 'em through.

Honestly, the only other thing that has caused this much grief was GWB's visit.

PalenQ

You mean W came to Greenwich or in London in general?

PalenQ

Update please CW

from someone on the front lines

what happened?

PatrickLondon

Give us a break, it doesn't even start for another hour, and will go on for another 7 hours!

And I rather think this morning's weather will put a damper on both the hoopla and the hooha:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hMOu7YTvquw

Cholmondley_Warner

Lunchtime here - the big candle is still in westminster. Loads of barneys there - more to come.

So far I've twatted two hippies and a tiddly. Happy happy. Joy joy.

This is even more fun than millwall at home.

The Chinese "security" people are going to get dealt with later.

Fun fun fun, till daddy takes our t-bird away......

got to love the "olympic ideal"

Cholmondley_Warner

You mean W came to Greenwich or in London in general?>>>

London. Major grief. Big style overtime. Get him to come again. I could do with the dosh.

alanRow

Scuffles, attempts to put out the flame with fire extinguishers, booing...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7332942.stm

kleeblatt

"Fun fun fun, till daddy takes our t-bird away......"

So how was the concert, septic?

Cholmondley_Warner

It was OK. Now I have to go and get paid hundreds of pounds to guard a candle.

There are 5,000 of us here. This is your tax money at work folks.

Nonconformist

Well, it is a very large and symbolic candle.

PatrickLondon

Funny, I'd never thought of CW as Wee Willie Winkie...

PalenQ

Maybe Met can rent CW out to Beijing for the actual games?

BTW Red Ken is not only a personal hero of mine but a personal friend and i have forwarded him a warning about a security lapse in SE London

I did name names - DW

PatrickLondon

You can watch BBC News24 live on the internet:
http://tinyurl.com/4yw2pw

bozama

I hope that at every stop the Chinese officals are stressed and embarrassed by the reaction they recieve,, I hope they crawl in their beds at night in tears,, its so much less then how they treat others and their own people.

I will be happy to spend time " greeting" them when/if they come anywhere near where I live.

flanneruk

We've certainly got the difficult bit of this propaganda stunt by China's dictators (the bit where they thought they'd strut through the world's serious democracies) off to a good start. The TV coverage made it clear that they can't bring their antics to a civilised country without being jeered all the way. No violence, no intimidation. Just constant barracking.

Only idiots as utterly blind to the real world as China's gerontocracy would be mad enough to bring this circus to the world's bolshiest city on a Sunday, when even the doziest protestor could get out and shout.

But we've now set the standard for everyone else. Can the people of Paris and San Francisco make the Chinese lose even more face?

Score in London? Protestors 50: Chinese running dog imperialists 0.

See if you can beat that, Paris. We'll be right behind you.