World Leaders Boycott Opening

Yesterday British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that he won’t be attending the opening ceremony of this summer’s Olympic Games. Downing Street insisted that Brown had never planned to come to the opening, and that he will be present at the closing ceremony as the leader of the next nation to host the Olympics. However, until yesterday, no clear statement had been issued. According to Chinese media reports, Brown’s presence had been expected by Chinese authorities. Political analysts such as the BBC’s Nick Robinson and Simon Carr of the Independent have criticised Brown harshly for his foreign affairs blunder on their blogs.

In late March German Chancellor Angela Merkel became the first leader to boycott the opening ceremony in protest of China’s treatment of Tibet. Merkel had previously enraged the Chinese leadership by receiving the Dalai Lama in Berlin for private talks. French President Sarkozy is also considering the possibility of a boycott and has called on Chinese authorities to reopen discussions with the Dalai Lama. In the US, Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has applauded Brown’s decision and encouraged President Bush to do the same. Bush has confirmed his participation at some stage of the event.

Torch Sparks London Protests

London became the centre of heated protests yesterday as the Olympic flame passed through its snow-clad streets. Despite the chilly weather conditions thousands of activists lined the 31-mile route (see map), demonstrating against China’s human rights record and treatment of Tibet. According to the BBC, 35 were arrested as individual demonstrators repeatedly stormed the ring of policemen protecting the torch-bearer. One man even attempted to smother the Olympic flame with a fire extinguisher.

The resulting scenes – security forces wrestling activists, as masses of protestors waved flags and shouted slogans (see original footage) – weren’t far removed from a sporting event. But the political debate, increasingly difficult to extract from this summer’s games, was impossible to overlook. The link between sports and politics was highlighted further by Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s decision not to touch the torch despite greeting it outside 10 Downing Street – a diplomatic move aimed to appease both Tibetan supporters and Chinese officials in equal measures.

Meanwhile in Beijing, China’s state-controlled television networks opted not to show scenes of protest and demonstration. Instead reports focused on peaceful images of the Chinese ambassador handing the torch to a British runner. With another 20 countries left for the torch to travel through, the Chinese censors ought to have their work cut out for them in the coming months. Next stop: Paris, a city well acquainted with the concept of demonstrating and revolting.