Yesterday I took a break from work and walked down to the Embarcadero to check out the Olympic torch relay. San Francisco was repeatedly referred to as the only North American stop for the torch, and therefore, was the only opportunity for people in a wide region of the globe to show their support for or frustration with the Chinese government’s policies.
The announcement that busloads of Chinese Americans from throughout the state were being brought in to show their support for China and the protests throughout the city earlier in the week pointed towards another torch relay ripe with conflicts.
The scene along the Embarcadero definitely supported this.
There were Chinese supporters along side protesters, each delivering their messages to whomever would listen, all the while a large jumbotron and soundsystem blared images and sounds of celebrations. The anticipation in the crowd kept building as the torch-running time drew near and its crescendo
continued until – there – on the jumbotron – was the torch, being run through a completely different route throught the city.
Everyone was angry and felt deceived. Everyone.
I left feeling completely disappointed in Gavin Newsom and his decision to prioritize a successful running of the torch relay – rather than allowing all those who had gathered in the name of free speech to support their cause to fully support their ideals. The idea that the torch was sneaked through the city to an unrevealed location where it was paraded down empty streets (flanked by an incredible number of security personnel) – it’s just maddening. That is the spirit of the olympics?