Flame of shame

JJS

This is a very important question. It is bad enough that individual liberties are constrained and abridged in China; what does it mean when our own government allows those agents to do the same here — to our people on our soil?

Ann

--- and I was like, “Oh my gosh, who are these people?” -- does the dreadful K. Huq think she is a Valley girl?

As to Chinese state goons on London's street - the fascist Blair government cosied up to these goons many years ago, when they dictated who should and who should not demonstrate freely on London's streets during Chinese state visits - and I should not be surprised if Blair's thugs took lessons from the Chinese ones. If the British were not so spineless these days, Special Branch etc would have been prosecuted for assault and ABH at that time for their treatment of peaceful demonstrators.

leigh richards

well melanie i guess that given the british govt is allowing the russian secret service to murder its critics in britian they will now be permitting the same generosity to the chinese secret service!

Jonny Mac

I agree that this is a critical question. Perhaps a well-phrased FOI request to the Met, GLA aand FCO, Melanie? It is inevitable that the 'thugs' were also told to take any opportunity to collect information on Chinese pro-Tibet demonstrators in the UK, which is another alarming perpective on their presence.

Harry

The whole thing reeks of a nudge, nudge, wink, wink-style arrangement.

In other words, let's not put anything in writing about these guards' powers because that could come out later.

But since they'll only be doing this once, let them control things if they want to.

After all, Gordon's got plenty of business to do with the spiteful Chinese leaders.

It's just a theory.

Frank Pulley

Politics, policing,sport and commerce all intermingled in expediency and corruption - Farcical and frightening!

Moreover, at a time when we are told by the pundits that the country, indeed perhaps the whole global economy, is on the brink of collapse we have volunteered for, and are pouring more billions into, the next dog and pony show here in pursuit of the 'Olympic ideal'. Beware of Greeks .... particularly the Chinese variety.

Keith Kahn-Harris

Don't often agree with you Melanie but you're right on the button with this. Keep investigating!

Seth

Why does Britain, England, or whoever you people are, keep allowing this sort of crap to go on?

Jonny Mac

"So just who are these men in the track suits?

Employed by the Beijing Olympic Organising Committee (BOCOG), the "flame protection squad" was formed in August 2007 to safeguard the fire 24 hours a day on its 137,000-km (85,130-mile), 130-day relay, state media have reported.

Its members were picked from the ranks of the People's Armed Police, the security force spun off from the army that is responsible for riot control and domestic stability. Tens of thousands of "wujing", as they are called in Chinese, have been deployed to Tibet and neighbouring areas to quash recent unrest."

- Breitbart News. Lovely chaps. Just who we want bossing British police round next to the PM in Downing St. FF'sS.

Hereford

By the arch state thug Gordon Brown I expect. Though I noticed that outside No10 he just grinned inanely and shuffled from foot to foot. Desparately avoiding touching the torch. What a pathetic peice of work he is.

Verity

"Elsewhere, the Greater London council says security on the streets was organised by the British Olympic Committee ..."

Since when did the British Olympic Committee assume responsibility for security on the streets of Britain?

Likewise, since when did the Chinese assume responsibility for enforcing security on our streets?

The Olympic Committe - the Olympian one, over there in Greece - needs to be disbanded and its "authority" scattered to the four winds. They are the cause of this dreadful rioting by ignorantly awarding the 2008 Olympics to China without understanding a thing about the Chinese. By this absurd - not to say lunatic - decision, they have caused a confrontation between China and the advanced West that was completely unnecessary.

The gold-jacketed ones need to be retired, as does the entire Olympic scam.

EyeSee

The answer to the question is; our arch goon Gordon Brown.

Ann

You've said it, Verity!

Beerchipsbingo

Surely the answer to the question is: the apathetic British public.
It is they who have allowed Westminster to be staffed by such anodyne non-events whose posturing looks sillier by the week.

But none of this matters, Ricky and Bianca are back.

Herbert Thornton

I'm a bit mystified.

Some people seem to be indignant about the presence of the Chinese squad surrounding Miss Huq, but I haven't read any reports of them doing anything violent to anybody. Pushing Miss Huq's hand up higher seems - if anything - to demonstrate a desire to be helpful.

So why all this fuss?

George Steiner

You know fellows you are a bit hard on the Chinese. It is true that they have not been to finishing school. But I have an overwhelming suspicion that they are turned on harshly for other reasons than their crude behaviour in public. The Tibetan monks have chosen the Olimpic as the signal for some riotous protestation. Knowing full well that their ignorant, usefull idiot, supporters will be pleased to do some rioting themselves. But there is another reason. China gas come a long way from being a primitive agrarian and poor nation, best known for its ever growing population. The yellow peril. As you know they make a lot of things. For the Brits who long ago stopped making things this is a slap in the face. Do they have a democratic deficit? They do. But if I had to choose wher to live, Saudi, Egypt, Pakistan, Burma, anyvhere in Africa or China, I would not hesitate at all. In addition they don't hate the Jews.

field

I saw a Free Tibet protestor on the public highway who made no attempt to snatch the torch being rugby tackled on to the ground. He was not asked to return behind the barrier.

Brown hypocritical greeting of the torch but refusal to touch it, is another nail in his coffin. One could just about admire his bravery had he held it aloft knowing how unpopular such a gesture would be, but the attempt to have it both ways just reinforces the growing idea in people's minds that he is insincere, a ditherer and not at all the highly moral character from the manse that we were first led to believe.

Tas Walker

There are demonstrations at every Olympic games. If it wasn't Tibet it would be something else.

Ann

Steiner, you wouldn't be the same loony who complained about the Dalai Lama's gang of thugs over on Biased BBC, would you?

George Steiner

Well Mistress Ann, I may be a loony, but I would not be seen on your BBC for all the tea in China. On the subject of the Lama fellow. A millisecond lesson on Tibetan history. About the 16th sentury a powerfull Budhist sect the Hongwanji from Japan, took over Tibet and ruled it till the Chinese came. They have invented the Lama reincarnation to perpetuate their rule. And under their rule Tibet was a miserably poor, backward xenophobic place par exelence. Idont' know if you belong to the usefull monk supporing idiot clan. But if you are, consider some meditation on the poor Tibetans lot as oposed to their Budhist rulers.

YA

..that all looks like "oh we don't want to pay real price for Chinese goods so we say your goods and your prices are udemocratic". Where were you 10 20 30 years ago with your painted mugs? Nauseous scenes of British white trash waving Tibetan flag on the defence of their rights for economic parasytism. Pathetic. Go China, you are working, you are learning, you are disciplined, you are strong. 90% of the things these garbage "protesters" own and use, are made in China.

Ann

What unmitigated drivel, YA. I don't own a single thing made in China, and I have been protesting about Chinese fascism for 25+ years, which is longer than you have lived. And I am proud to be called white trash by the likes of you, a person who would have whined about people protesting against the nice Mr Hitler and the charming Mr Goering.

Ann

I don't support monks qua monks, being an atheist; but since you think your 'history lesson' justifies the oppression of the Tibetan population by the Han invaders, let's ponder for a millisecond who the useful idiot is here ...

Wing Foo

I am disappointed to see that you use Lord Coe's anti-Chinese term to label the blue tracksuited Chinese who were there merely to guarantee a smooth run through the city. Clearly the public and the government used the occasion to demonstrate their protest against the suppression of Tibetian monks' riot including the use of violent methods. It wasn't a peaceful demonstration and the police had failed to wall off disruptive demonstrator's behaviour. The Chinese was reported to be rude to the person who held the torch. That is wrong. However, labeling them as thugs is hypocritical. If similar scenario happen instead of someone holding a torch but the Prime minister of the UK visiting a foreign country and is being confronted by similar violent protesters, what would those from the UK who protect the PM do? With regard to the riot in Tibet, it's a matter of sovereignty and national territorial integrity. I find the public and the government here hypocritical as they raised a war and still control the Falklands instead of handing it over back to the Argentinians. Who gives the right of a country to force any other country to adopt their form of society and government. The imposition of western demoncractic system as the universal perfect social system to every part of the world is arrogance. To state that the Chinese government is dictationship is biased. Does the British people have a choice of who rule the country? Yes, they can vote, but which ruling party is working for the people. Whoever being voted to power, thetop politicians can do whatever they want. So does the CoE. In the end, if the people here are unhappy about China holding the Olympics, they should not only urging the PM not the attend the opening ceremony but also all the British athletes should not join Olympics. That's show the courage and 'higher moral standard' of this country! I can still remember how this country treat the innocent young Brazilian being shot dead and his family with the excuse of national security.

Ann

LOL. Thanks for the laugh, dear. The people of the Falklands WANT to be British. The people of Tibet want the thuggish Chineses invaders to eff off back to China. Do try to keep up.