Canberra, Sydney protests over torch relay

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

PROTESTERS have amassed outside the Chinese embassy in Canberra over the Beijing Olympics torch relay, demonstrators have targetted the Harbour Bridge and police have arrested four people in Sydney.

In latest developments, about 80 protesters gathered are at the Chinese embassy in Canberra to take part in a pro-Tibetan independence vigil, timed for tonight in the hours ahead of the torch relay, which is set to be marked by further demonstrations.

Inside the embassy gates about 20 Chinese watched the protesters, while between the two groups were four Australian Federal Police officers.

Numbers at the vigil grew as more media arrived. The protesters lit candles with their legs crossed. Prayer flags, Tibetan flags and placards surrounded the protesters.

The vigil also welcomed 17 Tibetans who live in Sydney and who have been marching towards Canberra for three days while fasting.

ACT Tibetan community spokesman Temay Rigzin said the vigil was to pray for those who had been killed in recent unrest in the Himalayan region of China.

The protest is the first protest in Canberra ahead of tomorrow's torch relay, which will go ahead under tight security following disruptions to the event in Europe, the US and Asia.

Meanwhile, police are tonight questioning four people after a banner protesting human rights abuses in Tibet was unfurled over the iconic Coke sign in Sydney's Kings Cross.

The protesters allegedly unveiled a banner saying: "Enjoy compassion, always Tibet" written in the same style of script as the Coca-Cola brand.

Printed in black at the bottom of the banner was the message: "China - talk to the Dalai Lama."

It is the third protest over Tibet to be staged in Sydney today, after two earlier incidents centred on the Harbour Bridge.

A NSW police spokesman said three men and a woman were taken to Kings Cross police station for questioning.

THE Sydney Harbour Bridge has twice been targeted by protests over human rights abuses in Tibet, with a message projected onto the bridge pylon and another demonstration thwarted by police.

The Australia Tibet Council projected the words "Don't Torch Tibet" onto the north-west pylon of the bridge overnight, ahead of the arrival of the Olympic flame in Canberra this morning.

Police later foiled a second incident, arresting two novice protesters before they could unfurl their banner from the harbour bridge walkway.

Meanwhile, a Chinese Olympic official today said the tracksuit-clad personnel seen on overseas relay legs were trained to respond to threats to the flame or torch bearers.

Reading from a Olympic torch relay manual at a media conference in Canberra, Beijing Olympic organising committee spokesman Qu Yingpu said the flame attendants would not be armed in any way.

But he said they would "use their bodies to form a kind of defence for the torch bearer" in the event of a security threat.

"Each runner should be trained security personnel with the ability to cover and evacuate the torch bearer in the case of an emergency," Mr Qu said as he read from the relay manual.

Back in Sydney, up to 10 security guards and police restrained a man and a woman before they could attach a six metre by 10 metre banner near the bridge's south-east pylon.

While the protesters' "Free Tibet" banner and attached Tibetan flag never saw the light of day, it may not be the last protest from an impassioned Sydney resident.

Kerryn, a 30-year-old travel consultant, said she and a friend made their dash about 7.30am this morning.

She asked that her surname be kept confidential to avoid any difficulty during future visits to China.

"We managed to get part of it attached before security guards pounced on us, but unfortunately they were too big and too many for us," Kerryn told AAP.

"They detained us and any attempts to get closer to the banner were stopped by physical means."

Kerryn said she was not attached to any protest group or organisation representing human rights in Tibet and that this was her and her friend's first attempt at a protest.

"I've travelled through Tibet and I've seen first hand the fact that there's human rights abuses still going on within the country," she said.

"I was stopped from talking to the Tibetan people in Lhasa for even the basic levels of communication."

The two protesters were issued with infringement notices requiring them to pay $100.

Australia Tibet Council executive director Paul Bourke said his organisation's protest had sent a clear call for China to remove Tibet from the Olympic torch relay route and begin a process of constructive dialogue with the Dalai Lama.

"Carrying the Olympic torch up Mount Everest and through Lhasa and other Tibetan areas has nothing to do with sport," Mr Bourke said.

"It will only deepen the current crisis, inciting further unrest inside Tibet and leading to more arrests and suffering among the Tibetan people."

He said the torch relay's visit to Tibet was a blatant political manoeuvre by the Chinese leadership to legitimise its control over the region.

A NSW police spokeswoman said no complaints and no arrests were made over the projection of the protest message onto the harbour bridge.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/stor...5001021,00.html

[Heracles 417]

I highly recommend going to the following thread and looking at the three tables posted there.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...t&p=1779392

Says a lot about some people's views cough cough

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I highly recommend going to the following thread and looking at the three tables posted there.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...t&p=1779392

Says a lot about some people's views cough cough

I can read and write perfectly well. Thank you for your concern. Besides - what does that have to do with the Olympic protests?

Edited April 23, 2008 by Number 6

[Heracles 417]

The tables explain a lot actually.

PS Funny you are not posting that hey. Doing pretty well, once again, for 21 million people who where exiled from England.

Edited April 23, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The tables explain a lot actually.

What does it explain exactly?

[Sister Fracas 5]

I highly recommend going to the following thread and looking at the three tables posted there.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...t&p=1779392

Says a lot about some people's views cough cough

I can read and write perfectly well. Thank you for your concern. Besides - what does that have to do with the Olympic protests?

nothing....

[Heracles 417]

Besides - what does that have to do with the Olympic protests?

It has about the same thing to do with you and Troll posting these articles..

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I highly recommend going to the following thread and looking at the three tables posted there.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...t&p=1779392

Says a lot about some people's views cough cough

I can read and write perfectly well. Thank you for your concern. Besides - what does that have to do with the Olympic protests?

nothing....

I guess even in countries with higher standards of living/literacy - there are still a few dummies who aren't so good at the reading comprehension.

[Heracles 417]

I guess even in countries with higher standards of living/literacy - there are still a few dummies who aren't so good at the reading comprehension.

How so? Because I don't bother answering your questions or replying to your cheap posts anymore.

Yeah you and Troll really showed us Australians..

Edited April 23, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I guess even in countries with higher standards of living/literacy - there are still a few dummies who aren't so good at the reading comprehension.

How so? Because I don't bother answering your questions or replying to your cheap posts anymore.

Well... you *did* reply didn't you?

Concentration is lacking too it seems. Explains the tangents I guess.

Yeah you and Troll really showed us Australians..

The story is about the continuing protests over China's Tibet policy.

[Heracles 417]

I guess even in countries with higher standards of living/literacy - there are still a few dummies who aren't so good at the reading comprehension.

How so? Because I don't bother answering your questions or replying to your cheap posts anymore.

Well... you *did* reply didn't you?

Concentration is lacking too it seems. Explains the tangents I guess.

Responded to the thread more like it.

[Sister Fracas 5]

I highly recommend going to the following thread and looking at the three tables posted there.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...t&p=1779392

Says a lot about some people's views cough cough

I can read and write perfectly well. Thank you for your concern. Besides - what does that have to do with the Olympic protests?

nothing....

I guess even in countries with higher standards of living/literacy - there are still a few dummies who aren't so good at the reading comprehension.

Well anyway...

As someone who has participated in Pro-Tibetan protests in front of the Chinese Embassy here (I guess I'll never be going to China then...heh ), I hope to see the protests continuing around the world. I don't think the Olympics should be boycotted, but I think boycotting certain ceremonies is the right thing to do.

Free Tibet

Edited April 23, 2008 by Sister Fracas

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I highly recommend going to the following thread and looking at the three tables posted there.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...t&p=1779392

Says a lot about some people's views cough cough

I can read and write perfectly well. Thank you for your concern. Besides - what does that have to do with the Olympic protests?

nothing....

I guess even in countries with higher standards of living/literacy - there are still a few dummies who aren't so good at the reading comprehension.

Well anyway...

As someone who has participated in Pro-Tibetan protests in front of the Chinese Embassy here, I hope to see the protests continuing around the world. I don't think the Olympics should be boycotted, but I think boycotting certain ceremonies is the right thing to do.

Free Tibet

I think the IOC is going to look a little more closely before awarding the Olympics to countries like China in the future. They had over 200 countries to choose from - and they picked a dictatorship. Crazy.

[Sister Fracas 5]

I think the IOC is going to look a little more closely before awarding the Olympics to countries like China in the future. They had over 200 countries to choose from - and they picked a dictatorship. Crazy.

I hope they do... For an event that is SUPPOSE to be non-political, the awarding of countries is hugely political.

Unfortunately it's too late now and boycotting isn't the answer.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think the IOC is going to look a little more closely before awarding the Olympics to countries like China in the future. They had over 200 countries to choose from - and they picked a dictatorship. Crazy.

I hope they do... For an event that is SUPPOSE to be non-political, the awarding of countries is hugely political.

Unfortunately it's too late now and boycotting isn't the answer.

It has definitely lowered the IOC's image globally.