Dramatic, Chaotic Scene in SF Along Olympic Torch Route

By Anastacia Mott Austin

San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsome told reporters that he expected pro-Tibetan protesters at this week’s Olympic torch run in the city, but he says he did not expect so many who cared so much.

"We knew that Tibet was going to be an issue," said Newsom. "[But] we didn't expect it to be as acute."

After chaotic scenes in London and Paris, where protesters successfully disrupted at times the torch’s run through their cities, even dousing the flame on several occasions, San Francisco city officials were careful to bulk up security for the event.

As the only city in the United States chosen to host part of the Olympic torch run, San Francisco and its officials were concerned that no one, protesting or supporting the event, get hurt. Police chief Heather Wong spoke to reporters at the San Franciso Chronicle, saying, "What is most important is at the end of the day the people are peaceful and safe and it's a successful situation. If there's violence and people get hurt, then it hurts every opinion that is out there."

After thousands of people surrounded the torch runners early in the day along the Embarcadero route, city officials along with the mayor announced to only those immediately participating that the expected route would be changed. What resulted was a complex communication network as spectators, mostly protesters, tried to figure out where the runners were and catch up.

People watching live news footage of the torch runners communicated the route by cell phone or text message to their friends out on the streets, who passed the word along, and hundreds of people ran in groups to try to catch up.

The scene surrounding the runners was one of tight security. A small group of runners, barely running as a press vehicle and a police motorcade both preceded and followed them, were completely surrounded by police officers running on foot and on motorcycles.

Police officers either told people along the sidelines to keep their distance or actually pushed them back if they got too close.

As a large group of supporters and protesters gathered at the city’s Justin Hermann Plaza, where the torch run was supposed to end with a number of ceremonies, complaints were circulating that the Chinese supporters who were closest to the fenced-off border for spectators had been bused in just for the event by the Chinese consulate, or even from other cities.

Some pro-Tibetan protesters complained that they had been told by police to leave the plaza and that it was reserved only for Chinese supporters. Several police officers confirmed this version of events, saying that only supporters had a permit to gather. But mayor Newsome disputed this, saying that he had told the public earlier in the week that no permits would be required and that anyone who wished to was welcome to gather in the plaza.

Some protesters claimed they’d been pepper-sprayed as well, in efforts to control crowds.

However, despite several smaller skirmishes, for the most part the protesters were peaceful, saying that they had planned for a peaceful event, only wanting the world to know of China’s human rights abuses against Tibet.

Earlier in the week, three people managed to scale the cables on the Golden Gate Bridge and unfurl giant banners proclaiming, "Free Tibet." That incident concerned security officials, who wondered at the ability of three people to get past security and scale the bridge. Police presence planned for the torch running event was increased.

As spectators watched on television, some who were not expecting the route to pass by their neighborhoods managed to run outside and see the runners. Joan Woodaver, who spoke to the Chronicle, said she worked near the route and ran down the sidewalk with a "Free Tibet" sign. "I really admire the Dalai Lama, and I feel disturbed that the government of China treats people so poorly," said Woodaver.

Nancy Chan, who also saw the events unfolding on TV, grabbed her four-year-old son and raced to see the torch pass by. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for us to see the torch," said Chan. "There is a lot of politics around it, but that is the great thing about America - the free speech."