The Olympic Torch's Hectic Week in SF

Photo Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?o=1&f=/c/a/2008/04/07/MN6L101A0U.DTL

What a hectic week it has been for the city of San Francisco. Our city is the only North American city to host the Olympic Torch relay and people have mixed emotions about it. It all began when pro-Tibet protesters climbed the cables of the Golden Gate Bridge and attached a large message between the cables to warn China of their cruelty of human rights against Tibet. This is likely to be the coolest publicity stunt dealing with politics on a Bay Area bridge compared to Mancow's haircut stunt/traffic tie-up he pulled on the Bay Bridge back in 1993.

What was promising to be a safe and memorable event in San Francisco turned out to be the same result that happened in London and Paris. This time pro-Tibet and pro-China got themselves into each other's faces about the fact that their home country doesn't practice peace at the same time they're hosting a world event. Other than that, more people came out to protest against China's cruelty against Tibet. Did anyone fail to realize that the torch relay was in progress while the war of words between the two groups heated up? Whether members of pro-China like it or not, San Francisco is known for heavy protests against anything that relates to politics. It will be hard for them to realize that the actions of the Chinese government equals all hell to break lose against them for years to come, even after the summer games.

In light of all the protests, Olympic celebration, and politics all mixed up, the International Olympic Committee is beginning to face harsh criticism from demonstrators about what they've done. The torch is always considered a symbol of world peace and harmony while demonstrators worldwide consider it a symbol of the politics of evil. Because of this, spectators were unable to cherish the flame of the Olympic Torch as they were promised. After increasing outbursts and last-minute reroutes, the excitement of the event died down when it was announced that the torch was heading towards SFO.

Like past Olympics that were held in politically driven countries, this year's games should be able to go on despite the scrutiny that the host country is facing. It's also a warning to the IOC about what happens when they decide to host the Olympics in countries with abusive governments.