International and HK/Macau leg '''''': On March 24, 2008, the
Olympic Flame was ignited at
Olympia, Greece, site of the
ancient Olympic Games. The actress
Maria Nafpliotou, in the role of a High Priestess, ignited the torch of the first torchbearer, a silver medalist of the
2004 Summer Olympics in
taekwondo Alexandros Nikolaidis from Greece, who handed the flame over to the second torchbearer, Olympic champion in women's
breaststroke Luo Xuejuan from China. Following the recent
unrest in Tibet, three members of
Reporters Without Borders, including
Robert Ménard, breached security and attempted to disrupt a speech by Liu Qi, the head of Beijing's Olympic organising committee during the torch lighting ceremony in
Olympia, Greece. The People's Republic of China called this a "disgraceful" attempt to sabotage the Olympics. On March 30, 2008, in Athens, during ceremonies marking the handing over of the torch from Greek officials to organizers of the Beijing games, demonstrators shouted 'Free Tibet' and unfurled banners; some 10 of the 15 protesters were taken into police detention. After the hand-off, protests continued internationally, with particularly violent confrontations with police in Nepal.
China: In China, the torch was first welcomed by Politburo Standing Committee member
Zhou Yongkang and State Councilor
Liu Yandong. It was subsequently passed onto CPC General Secretary
Hu Jintao. A call to boycott French hypermart
Carrefour from May 1 began spreading through mobile text messaging and online chat rooms amongst the Chinese over the weekend from April 12, accusing the company's major shareholder, the
LVMH Group, of donating funds to the
Dalai Lama. There were also calls to extend the boycott to include French luxury goods and cosmetic products. According to the
Washington Times on April 15, however, the Chinese government was attempting to "calm the situation" through censorship: "All comments posted on popular Internet forum
Sohu.com relating to a boycott of Carrefour have been deleted." Chinese protesters organized boycotts of the French-owned retail chain
Carrefour in major Chinese cities including
Kunming,
Hefei and
Wuhan, accusing the French nation of pro-
secessionist conspiracy and
anti-Chinese racism. Some burned
French flags, some added
Nazism's
Swastika to the French flag, and spread short online messages calling for large protests in front of French consulates and embassy. The Carrefour boycott was met with anti-boycott demonstrators who insisted on entering one of the Carrefour stores in Kunming, only to be blocked by boycotters wielding large
Chinese flags and hit by water bottles. The BBC reported that hundreds of people demonstrated in Beijing, Wuhan, Hefei, Kunming and
Qingdao. In response to the demonstrations, an editorial in the ''
People's Daily'' urged Chinese people to "express [their] patriotic enthusiasm calmly and rationally, and express patriotic aspiration in an orderly and legal manner".
Kazakhstan: The first torchbearer in
Almaty, where the Olympic torch arrived for the first time ever on April 2, was the President of Kazakhstan
Nursultan Nazarbaev. The route ran 20 km from
Medeo stadium to
Astana Square. There were reports that Uighur activists were arrested and some were deported back to China.
Turkey: The torch relay leg in
Istanbul, held on April 3, started on
Sultanahmet Square and finished in
Taksim Square.
Uyghurs living in Turkey protested at Chinese
treatment of their
compatriots living in
Xinjiang. Several protesters who tried to disrupt the relay were promptly arrested by the police.
Russia: On April 5 the Olympic torch arrived at
Saint Petersburg, Russia. The length of the torch relay route in the city was 20 km, with the start at the
Victory Square and finish at the
Palace Square.
Mixed martial arts icon and former
PRIDE Heavyweight Champion
Fedor Emelianenko was one of the torch bearers. This gives him the distinction of the being the first active
MMA fighter to carry the Olympic flame. .
Great Britain: The torch relay leg held in London, the host city of the
2012 Summer Olympics, on April 6 began at
Wembley Stadium, passed through the
City of London, and eventually ended at
O2 Arena in the eastern part of the city. The leg took a total of seven and a half hours to complete, and attracted protests by pro-Tibetan independence and pro-Human Rights supporters, prompting changes to the planned route and an unscheduled move onto a bus, which was then briefly halted by protesters.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has officially complained to
Beijing Organising Committee about the conduct of the tracksuit-clad Chinese security guards. The Chinese officials, seen manhandling protesters, were described by both the London Mayor
Ken Livingstone and
Lord Coe, chairman of the
London Olympic Committee as "thugs". A
Metropolitan police briefing paper revealed that security for the torch relay cost £750,000 and the participation of the Chinese security team had been agreed in advance, despite the Mayor stating, "We did not know beforehand these thugs were from the security services. Had I known so, we would have said no." Of the 80 torch-bearers in London, Sir
Steve Redgrave, who started the relay, mentioned to the media that he had received e-mailed pleas to boycott the event and could "see why they would like to make an issue" of it. while
Konnie Huq decided to carry it and also speak out against China. The pro-Tibetan Member of Parliament
Norman Baker asked all bearers to reconsider. The London relay saw the torch surrounded by what the
BBC described as "a mobile protective ring." In an effort to counter the pro-Tibet protesters and show their support for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, more than 2,000 Chinese also gathered on the torch route and demonstrated with signs, banners and Chinese flags. A large number of supporters were concentrated in
Trafalgar Square, displaying the Olympic slogan "One World, One Dream". by violence in Paris.
France: The torch relay leg in Paris, held on April 7, began on the first level of the
Eiffel Tower and finished at the
Stade Charléty. The relay was initially supposed to cover 28 km, but it was shortened at the demand of Chinese officials following widespread protests by pro-Tibet and human rights activists, who repeatedly attempted to disrupt, hinder or halt the procession. A scheduled ceremony at the town hall was cancelled at the request of the Chinese authorities, and, also at the request of Chinese authorities, the torch finished the relay by bus instead of being carried by athletes. Paris City officials had announced plans to greet the Olympic flame with peaceful protest when the torch was to reach the French capital. The city government attached a banner reading "Paris defends human rights throughout the world" to the
City Hall, in an attempt to promote values "of all humanity and of human rights." Members from
Reporters Without Borders turned out in large numbers to protest. An estimated 3,000 French police protected the Olympic torch relay as it departed from the Eiffel Tower and criss-crossed Paris amid threat of protests. Widespread pro-Tibet protests, including an attempt by more than one demonstrator to extinguish the flame with water or fire extinguishers, prompted relay authorities to put out the flame five times (according to the police authorities in Paris) and load the torch onto a bus, This was later denied by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, despite video footage broadcast by French television network
France 2 which showed Chinese flame attendants extinguishing the torch. Backup flames are with the relay at all times to relight the torch. French
judoka and torchbearer
David Douillet expressed his annoyance at the Chinese
flame attendants who extinguished the torch which he was about to hand over to
Teddy Riner: "I understand they're afraid of everything, but this is just annoying. They extinguished the flame despite the fact that there was no risk, and they could see it and they knew it. I don't know why they did it." Chinese officials canceled the torch relay ceremony amidst disruptions, including a Tibetan flag flown from a window in the City Hall by Green Party officials. The third torchbearer in the Paris leg,
Jin Jing, who was disabled and carried the torch on a wheelchair, was assaulted several times by unidentified protesters seemingly from the pro-Tibet independent camp. but that she "did not feel the pain at the time." She received praise from ethnic Chinese worldwide as "Angel in Wheelchair". The Chinese government gave the comment that "the Chinese respect France a lot" but "Paris [has slapped] its own face." , Place de l'Hôtel de Ville
Reporters Without Borders organised several symbolic protests, including scaling the
Eiffel Tower to hang a protest banner from it, and hanging an identical banner from the
Notre Dame cathedral. Several hundred pro-Tibet protesters gathered at the
Trocadéro with banners and Tibetan flags, and remained there for a peaceful protest, never approaching the torch relay itself. Among them was
Jane Birkin, who spoke to the media about the "lack of freedom of speech" in China. Also present was Thupten Gyatso, President of the French Tibetan community, who called upon pro-Tibet demonstrators to "remain calm, non-violent, peaceful". French members of Parliament and other French politicians also organised a protest. All political parties in Parliament—
UMP,
Socialists,
New Centre,
Communists,
Democratic Movement (centre) and
Greens—jointly requested a pause in the National Assembly's session, which was granted, so that MPs could step outside and unfurl a banner which read "Respect for Human Rights in China". The coach containing the torch drove past the National Assembly and the assembled protesting MPs, who shouted "Freedom for Tibet!" several times as it passed. French police were criticised for their handling of the events, and notably for confiscating Tibetan flags from demonstrators. The newspaper
Libération commented: "The police did so much that only the Chinese were given freedom of expression. The Tibetan flag was forbidden everywhere except on the Trocadéro." Minister of the Interior
Michèle Alliot-Marie later stated that the police had not been ordered to do so, and that they had acted on their own initiative. A cameraman for
France 2 was struck in the face by a police officer, knocked unconscious, and had to be sent to hospital. poster with a picture of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. The Ferry Building can be seen in the background.
United States of America: The torch relay's North American leg occurred in San Francisco, California on April 9. On the day of the relay officials diverted the torch run to an unannounced route. The start was at
McCovey Cove, where Norman Bellingham of the
U.S. Olympic Committee gave the torch to the first torchbearer,
Chinese 1992 Olympic champion swimmer Lin Li. The planned
closing ceremony at
Justin Herman Plaza was cancelled and instead, a ceremony was held at
San Francisco International Airport, where the torch was to leave for
Buenos Aires. The route changes allowed the run to avoid large numbers of China supporters and protesters against China. As people found out there would be no closing ceremony at Justin Herman Plaza, there were angry reactions. come into contact with pro-Chinese protesters near
Pier 1 in the early afternoon. On April 1, 2008, the
San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a resolution addressing human rights concerns when the Beijing Olympic torch arrives in San Francisco on April 9. The resolution would welcome the torch with "alarm and protest at the failure of China to meet its past solemn promises to the international community, including the citizens of San Francisco, to cease the egregious and ongoing human rights abuses in China and occupied Tibet." On April 8, numerous protests were planned including one at the city's United Nations Plaza led by actor
Richard Gere and Archbishop
Desmond Tutu. Some advocates for Tibet,
Darfur, and
Falun Gong (recognized as a cult in mainland China) planned to protest the April 9 arrival of the torch in San Francisco. China had already requested the torch route in San Francisco be shortened. On April 7, 2008, two days prior to the actual torch relay, three activists carrying Tibetan flags scaled the suspension cables of the
Golden Gate Bridge to unfurl two banners, one saying "One World, One Dream. Free Tibet", and the other, "Free Tibet '08". Among them was San Francisco resident Laurel Sutherlin, who spoke to the local TV station
KPIX-CBS5 live from a cellphone, urging the International Olympic Committee to ask China not to allow the torch to go through Tibet. "Sutherlin said he was worried that the torch's planned route through Tibet would lead to more arrests and Chinese officials would use force to stifle dissent." The three activists and five supporters face charges related to trespassing, conspiracy and causing a public nuisance. There were clashes between thousands of pro-China demonstrators, many of whom said they were bused in by the Chinese Consulate and other pro-China groups, and both pro-Tibet and Darfur protesters. The non-Chinese demonstrators were reported to have been swamped and trailed by angry crowds. During the torch relay, two torchbearers, Andrew Michael who uses a
wheelchair and is the Vice President for
Sustainable Development for the
Bay Area Council and Director of Partnerships For Change, and an
environmental advocate,
Majora Carter, managed to display Tibetan flags in protest, resulting in their ejection from the relay. The closing ceremony at
Justin Herman Plaza was canceled due to the presence of large numbers of protesters at the site. The torch run ended with a final stretch through San Francisco's
Marina district and was then moved by bus to
San Francisco International Airport for a makeshift closing ceremony at the terminal, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said the San Francisco relay had "fortunately" avoided much of the disruptions that marred the legs in London and Paris, but "was, however, not the joyous party that we had wished it to be." in Buenos Aires carried signs protesting China's treatment of
Falun Gong.
Argentina: The torch relay leg in
Buenos Aires, Argentina, held on April 11, began with an artistic show at the
Lola Mora amphitheatre in
Costanera Sur. In the end of the show the
mayor of Buenos Aires Mauricio Macri gave the torch to the first torchbearer,
Carlos Espínola. The leg finished at the Buenos Aires Riding Club in the
Palermo district, the last torchbearer being
Gabriela Sabatini. The 13.8 km route included landmarks like the
Obelisk and
Plaza de Mayo. The day was marked by several pro-Tibet protests, which included a giant banner reading "Free Tibet", and an alternative "
human rights torch" that was lit by protesters and paraded along the route the flame was to take. Most of these protests were peaceful in nature, and the torch was not impeded. Chinese immigrants also turned out in support of the Games, but only minor scuffles were reported between both groups. Runners surrounded by rows of security carried the Olympic flame past thousands of jubilant Argentines in the most trouble-free torch relay in nearly a week. People showered the parade route with confetti as banks, government offices and businesses took an impromptu half-day holiday for the only Latin American stop on the flame's five-continent journey. Argentine activists told a news conference that they would not try to snuff out the torch's flame as demonstrators had in Paris and London. "I want to announce that we will not put out the Olympic torch," said pro-Tibet activist Jorge Carcavallo. "We'll be carrying out surprise actions throughout the city of Buenos Aires, but all of these will be peaceful." Among other activities, protesters organized an alternative march that went from the Obelisk to the city hall, featuring their own "Human Rights Torch." A giant banner reading "Free Tibet" was also displayed on the torch route. According to a representative from the NGO 'Human Rights Torch Relay', their objective was to "show the contradiction between the Olympic Games and the presence of widespread human rights violations in China" The outreach director of
HRTR, Susan Prager, is also the communication director of "Friends of Falun Gong", a quasi-government non-profit funded by former Congressman Tom Lanto's wife and
Mark Palmer of
National Endowment for Democracy. A major setback to the event was caused by footballer
Diego Maradona, scheduled to open the relay through Buenos Aires, pulling out in an attempt to avoid the Olympic controversy. Trying to avoid the scenes that marred the relay in the UK, France and the US, the city government designed a complex security operative to protect the torch relay, involving 1200 police officers and 3000 other people, including public employees and volunteers. Overall, the protests were peaceful in nature, although there were a few incidents such as the throwing of several water balloons in an attempt to extinguish the Olympic flame, and minor scuffles between Olympic protesters and supporters from Chinese immigrant communities.
Tanzania:
Dar es Salaam was the torch's only stop in Africa, on April 13. The relay began at the grand terminal of the
TAZARA Railway, which was China's largest foreign aid project of the 1970s, and continued for 5 km through the old city to the
Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Temeke, which was built with Chinese aid in 2005. The torch was lit by Vice-President
Ali Mohamed Shein. About a thousand people followed the relay, waving the
Olympic flag. The only noted instance of protest was
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai's withdrawal from the list of torchbearers, in protest against human rights abuses in Tibet.
Oman:
Muscat was the torch's only stop in the Middle East, on April 14. The relay covered 20 km. No protests or incidents were reported. One of the torchbearers was Syrian actress
Sulaf Fawakherji.
Pakistan: The Olympic torch reached
Islamabad for the first time ever on April 16. President
Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister
Yousaf Raza Gillani spoke at the opening ceremony of the relay. Security was high, for what one newspaper called the "most sensitive leg" of the torch's Olympic journey. The relay was initially supposed to carry the torch around Islamabad, but the entire relay was cancelled due to security concerns regarding "militant threats or anti-China protests", In fear of violent protests and bomb attacks, the torch relay in Pakistan took place in a stadium behind closed doors. Although the relay was behind closed doors, thousands of policemen and soldiers guarded the flame. As a consequence, no incidents arose.
India: Due to concerns about pro-Tibet protests, the relay through New Delhi on April 17 was cut to just 2.3 km (less than 1.5 miles), which was shared amongst 70 runners. It concluded at the
India Gate. The event was peaceful due to the public not being allowed at the relay. A total of five intended torchbearers—
Kiran Bedi,
Soha Ali Khan,
Sachin Tendulkar,
Bhaichung Bhutia and
Sunil Gavaskar—withdrew from the event, citing "personal reasons", or, in Bhutia's case, explicitly wishing to "stand by the people of Tibet and their struggle" and protest against the PRC "crackdown" in Tibet. Bhutia, who is
Sikkimese and the national
football captain, was the first to announce refusal to run with the torch. Indian
film star Aamir Khan states on his personal blog that the "Olympic Games do not belong to China" and confirms taking part in the torch relay "with a prayer in his heart for the people of Tibet, and
... for all people across the world who are victims of human rights violations".
Rahul Gandhi, son of the
Congress President Sonia Gandhi and scion of the
Nehru-Gandhi family, also refused to carry the torch. Wary of protests, the Indian authorities have decided to shorten the route of the relay in New Delhi, and have given it the security normally associated with
Republic Day celebrations, which are considered terrorist targets. Chinese intelligence's expectations of points on the relay route that would be particularly 'vulnerable' to protesters were presented to the Indian ambassador to Beijing, Nirupama Sen. The Indian media responded angrily to the news that the ambassador, a distinguished lady diplomat, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry at 2 am local time; the news was later denied by anonymous sources in Delhi. The Indian media reported that India's Commerce Minister,
Kamal Nath, cancelled an official trip to Beijing in protest, though both Nath and Chinese sources have denied it. India rejected Chinese demands that the torch route be clear of India's 150,000-strong Tibetan exile community, by which they required a ban on congregation near the curtailed 3 km route. In response Indian officials said India was a democracy, and "a wholesale ban on protests was out of the question". Contradicting some other reports, Indian officials also refused permission to the "Olympic Holy Flame Protection Unit". The combined effect is a "rapid deterioration" of relations between India and China. The noted Indian social activist and a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer
Kiran Bedi refused to participate saying "she doesn't want to run in the event as ‘caged woman’." On April 15,
Bollywood actress
Soha Ali Khan pulled out of the Olympic torch relay, citing “very strong personal reasons”. On April 16, a protest was organised in Delhi "against Chinese repression in Tibet", and was broken up by the police.
Thailand: The April 18 relay through
Bangkok was the Olympic flame's first visit to Thailand. The relay covered just over 10 km, and included Bangkok's Chinatown. The torch was carried past
Democracy Monument,
Chitralada Palace and a number of other city landmarks. M.R.
Narisa Chakrabongse, Green World Foundation (GWF) chairwoman, withdrew from the torch-running ceremony, protesting against China's actions in Tibet. Several hundred protesters were present, along with Olympic supporters. Thai authorities threatened to arrest foreign protesters and ban them from future entry into Thailand. A coalition of Thai human rights groups announced that it would organise a "small demonstration" during the relay, and several hundred people did indeed take part in protests, facing Beijing supporters.
Malaysia: The event was held in the capital city,
Kuala Lumpur, on April 21. The 16.5 km long-relay began from the historic
Independence Square, passed in front of several city landmarks before coming to an end at the iconic
Petronas Twin Towers. Among the landmarks the Olympic flame passed next to were the Parliament House, National Mosque,
KL Tower and
Merdeka Stadium. A team of 1000 personnel from the Malaysian police Special Action Squad guarded the event and escorted the torchbearers. The last time an Olympic torch relay was held in Malaysia was
the 1964 Tokyo edition. Just days before the relay supporters of
Falun Gong demonstrated in front of the Chinese embassy in the Malaysian capital. As many as 1,000 personnel from the special police unit were expected to be deployed on the day of the relay. A Japanese family with Malaysian citizenship and their 5-year-old child who unfurled a Tibetan flag were hit by a group of Chinese nationals with plastic air-filled batons and heckled by a crowd of Chinese citizens during the confrontation at
Independence Square where the relay began, and the Chinese group shouted: "Taiwan and Tibet belong to China." Later during the day, the Chinese volunteers forcefully took away placards from two other Malaysians protesting at the relay. One of the protesting Malaysian was hit in the head. and the torch was instead carried round the
city main's stadium, as it had been in Islamabad. Several dozen pro-Tibet protesters gathered near the stadium, and were dispersed by the police. The event was held in the streets around the city main's stadium. The cancelling of the relay through the city itself was decided due to security concerns and at the request of the Chinese embassy. Only invitees and journalists were admitted inside the stadium. Protests took place outside the stadium. , hands over to Jake Warcaba at the
Stone of Remembrance,
Canberra. Two Chinese
flame attendants stand either side, assisting the two runners. A policeman stands to the left.
Australia: The event was held in
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory on April 24, and covered around 16 km of Canberra's central areas, from
Reconciliation Place to
Commonwealth Park. Upon its arrival in Canberra, the Olympic flame was presented by Chinese officials to local
Aboriginal elder Agnes Shea, of the
Ngunnawal people. She, in turn, offered them a message stick, as a gift of peace and welcome. Hundreds of pro-Tibet protesters and thousands of Chinese students reportedly attended. Demonstrators and counter-demonstrators were kept apart by the
Australian Federal Police. Following the events in Olympia, there were reports that China requested permission to deploy
People's Liberation Army personnel along the relay route to protect the flame in Canberra. Australian authorities stated that such a request, if it were to be made, would be refused. Chinese officials labeled it a rumor. Australian police have been given powers to search relay spectators, following a call by the
Chinese Students and Scholars Association for Chinese Australian students to "go defend our sacred torch" against "ethnic degenerate scum and anti-China separatists". Tony Goh, chairman of the Australian Council of Chinese Organisations, has said the ACCO would be taking "thousands" of pro-Beijing demonstrators to Canberra by bus, to support the torch relay. Zhang Rongan, a Chinese Australian student organising pro-Beijing demonstrations, told the press that Chinese diplomats were assisting with the organization of buses, meals and accommodation for pro-Beijing demonstrators, and helping them organise a "peaceful show of strength". Foreign Minister
Stephen Smith said Chinese officials were urging supporters to "turn up and put a point of view", but that he had no objection to it as long as they remained peaceful. Intended torchbearer
Lin Hatfield Dodds withdrew from the event, explaining that she wished to express concern about China's human rights record. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said her decision was "a very good example of peacefully making a point". Also, Australia's
ACT Chief Minister,
Jon Stanhope confirmed that the Chinese embassy was closely involved to ensure that "pro-China demonstrators vastly outnumbered Tibetan activists." Australian freestyle swimmer and five-time Olympic gold medalist
Ian Thorpe ended the Australian leg of the torch relay April 24, 2008, touching the flame to light a cauldron after a run that was only marginally marked by protests. People demonstrated both for China and for Tibet. At least five people were arrested during the torch relay. Police said "the five were arrested for interfering with the event under special powers enacted in the wake of massive protests against Chinese policy toward Tibet." At one point, groups of Chinese students surrounded and intimidated pro-Tibet protesters. One person had to be pulled aboard a police launch when a group of pro-Chinese students looked like they might force him into the lake.
Japan: The event was held in
Nagano, which hosted the
1998 Winter Olympics, on April 26. Japanese Buddhist temple
Zenkō-ji, which was originally scheduled to be the starting point for the Olympic torch relay in
Nagano, refused to host the torch and pulled out of the relay plans, amid speculation that monks there sympathized with anti-Chinese government protesters. as well as the risk of disruption by violent protests. Parts of Zenkō-ji temple's main building (Zenkō-ji Hondō), reconstructed in 1707 and one of the
National Treasures of Japan, was then vandalized with spraypaint. A new starting point, previously the site of a municipal building and now a parking lot, was chosen by the city. Thousands of
riot police were mobilized to protect the torch along its route. The show of force kept most protesters in check, but slogans shouted by pro-China or pro-Tibet demonstrators,
Japanese nationalists, and human rights organizations flooded the air. Five men were arrested and four injured amidst scenes of mob violence. The torch route was packed with mostly peaceful demonstrators. The public was not allowed at the parking lot where the relay started. After the Zenkoji monks held a prayer ceremony for victims of the recent events in Tibet. More than 100 police officers ran with the torch and riot police lined the streets while three helicopters flew above. Only two
Chinese guards were allowed to accompany the torch because of Japan's concern over their treatment of demonstrators at previous relays. A man with a Tibetan flag tried to stop the torch at the beginning of the relay but was dragged off by police. Some raw eggs were also thrown from the crowd. shirt with the phrase "
Tibet belongs to China" written on it.
South Korea: The event was held in
Seoul, which hosted the
1988 Summer Olympics, on April 27. Intended torchbearers Choi Seung-kook and Park Won-sun boycotted the event to protest against the Chinese government's crackdown in Tibet. More than 8,000 riot police were deployed to guard the 24-kilometre route, which began at Olympic Park, which was built when Seoul hosted the 1988 Summer Games. By the end of the relay, Chinese students became violent, and it was reported in Korean media that they were "lynching" everyone who was disagreeing with them. One police man was also rushed to hospital after being attacked by Chinese students. On Apr 29, the Secretary of Justice, Kim Kyung Han, told the prime minister that he will find "every single Chinese who was involved and bring them to justice." Later in the day, South Korea's Prosecutor's Office, National Police Agency,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
National Intelligence Service made a joint statement saying that they will be deporting every Chinese student that was involved in the incident. China defended the conduct of the students.
North Korea: The event was held in
Pyongyang on April 28. It was the first time that the Olympic torch has traveled to North Korea. A crowd of thousands waving pink paper flowers and small flags with the Beijing Olympics logo were organized by the authoritarian regime watched the beginning of the relay in Pyongyang, some waving Chinese flags. The event was presided over by the head of the country's parliament,
Kim Yong Nam. The North, an ally of China, has been critical of disruptions to the torch relay elsewhere and has supported Beijing in its actions against protests in Tibet. Kim passed the torch to the first runner
Pak Du Ik, who played on North Korea's 1966 World Cup soccer team, as he began the 19-kilometre route through Pyongyang. The relay began from the large sculpted flame of the obelisk of the
Juche Tower. Leader
Kim Jong Il did not attend. The
United Nations Organization and its children's agency
UNICEF withdrew their staff, saying that it was not sure the event would help its mission of raising awareness of conditions for children and amid concerns that the relay would be used as a propaganda stunt. "It was unconscionable," said a UN official who was briefed on the arguments. North Korea is frequently listed among the world's worst offenders against human rights.
Vietnam: The event was held in
Ho Chi Minh City on April 29. Some 60 torchbearers carried the torch from the downtown
Opera House to the Military Zone 7 Competition Hall stadium near
Tan Son Nhat International Airport along an undisclosed route. Vietnam is involved in a territorial dispute with China (and other countries) for sovereignty of the
Spratly and
Paracel Islands; tensions have risen recently following reports that the Chinese government had established a county-level city named
Sansha in the disputed territories, resulting in anti-Chinese demonstrations in December 2007 in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. However to sustain its relationship with China the Vietnamese government has actively sought to head off protests during the torch relay, with Prime Minister
Nguyễn Tấn Dũng warning government agencies that "hostile forces" may try to disrupt the torch relay. A
Vietnamese American was deported for planning protests against the torch, The torch relay then traveled through
Nathan Road,
Lantau Link,
Sha Tin (crossed
Shing Mun River via a
dragon boat, which had been never used before in the history of Olympic torch relays), consisting of celebrities, athletes and pro-Beijing camp politicians. No politicians from the
pro-democracy camp were selected as torchbearers. One torchbearer could not participate due to flight delay. It was estimated that more than 200,000 spectators came out and watched the relay. According to Hong Kong
Chief Secretary for Administration Henry Tang, 3,000 police were deployed to ensure order. There were several protests along the torch relay route. Members of the
Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, including pro-democracy activist
Szeto Wah, waved novelty
inflatable plastic Olympic flames, which they said symbolised democracy. They wanted accountability for the
1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre and the implementation of
democracy in Hong Kong. Political activist and
Legislative Council member
Leung Kwok-hung (Longhair) also joined the protest, saying "I'm very proud that in Hong Kong we still have people brave enough to speak out." In response,
Lee Cheuk Yan, vice chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, said, "It's outrageous that the government is willing to sacrifice the image of Hong Kong because of the torch relay." Legislator
Cheung Man Kwong have also said the government's decision allowing Farrow to enter while denying others is a
double standard and a violation to Hong Kong's
one country, two systems policy. designs along the relay way
Macao: The event was held in Macau on May 3. It was the first time that the Olympic torch had traveled to Macau. A ceremony was held at
Macau Fisherman's Wharf. Afterward, the torch traveled through Macau, passing by a number of landmarks including
A-Ma Temple,
Macau Tower,
Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho,
Ponte de Sai Van, Macau Cultural Centre, Macau Stadium and then back to the Fisherman's Wharf for the closing ceremony. Parts of the route near
Ruins of St. Paul's and
Taipa was shortened due to large crowds of supporters blocking narrow streets. A total of 120 torchbearers participated in this event including casino tycoon
Stanley Ho. Leong Hong Man and Leong Heng Teng were the first and last torchbearer in the relay respectively. An article published on
Macao Daily News criticized that the list of the torchbearers could not fully represent the
Macanese and that there were too many non-athletes among the torchbearers. (some of whom had already been torchbearers of other sporting events) A union planned to protest at the relay for better living conditions. Hong Kong legislator Michael Mak Kwok-fung and activist Chan Cheong, both members of the
League of Social Democrats, were not allowed to enter Macau. A Macau resident was arrested on April 26 for posting a message on cyberctm.com encouraging people to disrupt the relay. Both orchidbbs.com and cyberctm.com Internet forums were shut down from May 2 to 4. This fueled speculation that the shutdowns were targeting speeches against the relay. The head of the Bureau of Telecommunications Regulation has denied that the shutdowns of the websites were politically motivated. About 2,200 police were deployed on the streets, and there were no interruptions.
Domestic (Mainland China) leg Mainland China: The torch returned to China for the first time since April. The torch arrived in
Sanya, Hainan on May 4 with celebrations attended by International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials and Chinese big names like
Jackie Chan. The entire relay through
Mainland China was largely a success with many people welcoming the arrival of the torch along the way. Some notable events were: • During the
Fujian run, the relay carried a
cross-strait theme since the province is geographically across from Taiwan. The
Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games invited people from Taiwan to witness the torch relay, but the organisers offered no further details. • On May 8, a simultaneous run of the torch was done
as part of the summit on Mount Everest. • A 28-year-old man in
Jiangsu known as "Tang" was arrested for spreading rumors online he would go to
Nanjing (the May 27 leg) to grab the torch. • The last leg of the
Fujian run was gloomily shadowed by the May 12,
Sichuan earthquake. As a result, the relay began on May 14 with a
moment of silence as the torch made its way through the province of
Jiangxi. From May 19 through 21, the relay was suspended as the
State Council designated these three days as national days of mourning for the victims in the earthquake. There was no interruptions. • On June 21, the relay began in the
Tibet Autonomous Region. The originally three-day run was cut short to only one day, likely due to the controversy surrounding the relay because of China's harsh response to the Lhasa riot and the other protests that swept the Tibetan plateau between March and May, and also the delay to the relay due to the devastating Sichuan earthquake. Xinhua, China's official news agency, claimed that organizations such as the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) and the Tibetan Women's Association (TWA) threatened to "sabotage" the relay, but there is no evidence to support this and it contradicts statements from the organizations themselves. Meanwhile, the other Olympic flame rejoined the Olympic flame used in the main torch relay route in Tibet after ascending Mount Everest. Zhang Qingli, the Communist Party Secretary in Tibet, drew criticism from the IOC who wrote to the
Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), saying that they "regret the political statements" made by Zhang during the relay, after he claimed that they could "totally smash the splittist schemes of the Dalai clique". • On July 7, the torch was lit in
Jiayuguan (the Western end of the
Great Wall of China). • On August 3, the torch relay started in
Sichuan after a devastated earthquake that killed almost 70,000 people in May. Sichuan was the last stop before returning to Beijing for the opening ceremony. • On August 8, the torch reached Beijing for the
opening ceremony. After a spectacular art show and the parade of nations, the flame entered the
stadium. The Olympic torch was relayed by 7 torchbearers before it was passed on to former Olympic gymnast
Li Ning. Li, who was suspended by wires, then appeared to run horizontally along the top of the stadium and lit the
Olympic cauldron. After it was lit, a spectacular firework show followed, signaling the official beginning of the 29th Olympiad. ==Controversies==