Deadspin
The Olympic Torch passed through London and Paris on Sunday and earlier today, and was only snuffed out a few times by protesters: Once with a fire extinguisher. There were near riots and close to a hundred arrests. You know, I'm starting to suspect that some people don't like the Olympic Torch.
In Paris, some 3,000 officers were deployed on motorcycles, in jogging gear and using inline roller skates. Still, police barely stopped the second rush at the torch, and the attempt to extinguish it with water. Other demonstrators scaled the Eiffel Tower and hung a banner depicting the Olympic rings as handcuffs.
Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed.
Less than an hour later, the flame was being carried out of a Paris traffic tunnel by an athlete in a wheelchair when the procession was halted by activists who booed and chanted "Tibet."
If it weren't for the damned handicapped, today Tibet would be free!
Come on, admit it: The Olympic Torch Relay is becoming fun; like an enormous game of Capture the Flag. Note to protesters: You've got to create a diversion with the main group, and then have the little kid from the down the street sneak in from behind to grab the torch. Anyway it's all more interesting than women's volleyball.
Aren't you glad that Hitler invented it?
UPDATE: Here's some video.
Paris Protests Force Olympic Torch Delays [MSNBC]
Rings, Torch Have Ties To Hitler's Nazi Propaganda [Cincinnati Enquirer]
Ueberroth To Leave China Early For U.S. Torch Visit [USA Today]
Comments
I know it's Paris and all, but those cops should know that Ron Jeremy only does straight porn.
This just keeps getting better.
Too much fun. Can we get the Olympics to Sudan next time?
Zimbabwe, perhaps?
that is some serious overtime pay for those frenchie pigs...
I see London, I see France, I see gross human rights violations, so fuck China in the pants.
Does the Cincinnati Enquirer still have a Nazi beat writer left over from the Marge Schott days?
Shaun White needs to calm down with that fire extinguisher.
What's more flaming, a torch, or cops on inline skates?
Good job protesters...extinguishing the flame will cause the Chinese government to realize their sins and give Tibet it's freedom. That could work almost as much as standing in front of moving tanks.
Less than an hour later, the flame was being carried out of a Paris traffic tunnel by an athlete in a wheelchair when the procession was halted by activists who booed and chanted "Tibet."
That's not a very nice thing to do to Mike Hampton.
Nazis and the Chinese government. How have these two kids gotten this far without each other?
Usually one doesn't have much difficulty marching into Paris.
The torch should be transported with the carrier in an American Gladiators like circular ball.
At least the paparazzi didn't cause the torch to go out of control and crash in that tunnel.
3,000 police and they couldn't protect a torch? Who was in charge, Clouseau? 3,000 NYC cops would not only keep that torch lit, they'd have 2,900 officers left over to kick some protestor ass.
Volkswagens, jet planes, Olympic symbols, the space program, assisting Zionist plans to create a modern Jewish state -- is there anything for which we can't thank the Nazis?
I can't wait to see the look on China's face when Tibet wins a shitload of medals this summer.
Diana warned the IOC to stay out of those dangerous Paris tunnels.
Too soon?
Police officers on roller skates. Good to know that they have Hot Cops in Paris.
By the way, good luck keeping that flame once it gets to Beijing:
[fortressofpillows.blogspot.com]
@Chones_Chonies: Fack
@UkraineNotWeak: Plus ein.
@UkraineNotWeak: I'm surprised no one surrendered to the torch.
@MattinglysSideburns: China's recent actions in Tibet have made them a lock for the biathlon gold in 2010.
Was there ever a more opportune time to employ the "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?" tag?
Im sure the Rollerblades came in handy when the Torch was taken down Devils Backbone.
Hopefully one of the Tibetian Monks can grab the torch and immolate himself. That'll send a message, huh?
If they keep extinguishing the torch, how will the Buddhist monks be able to light themselves on fire?
@neckbeardedclam:
Either that or they crash the set of a French remake of Can't Stop the Music.
And to think, two years ago, the French Police couldn't keep the protestors from starting fires. Up is down...left is right.
in Boston maybe 3 of those 3,000 cops would try to do something to the protesters... and the other 2,997 would stand around chatting with construction guys.
then they'd receive huge tax payer-financed pensions.
Inline rollerskates? Those French are very avant garde.
Quebec has deported their three Chinese citizens in a show of solidarity with their cheese-eating surrender monkey brothers and sisters.
@crazyjoedavola: I like the way you think.
@Triple B: Not soon enough apparently.
If it rains I guess the protestors don't even need to show up to make their point.
So this is what those concerts by the Beastie Boys have wrought?
So let me see if I understand this IOC:
You're going to send the Olympic Torch to one North American city.
Instead of picking Vancouver (host of the 2010 Olympics), Calgary (1988), Los Angeles (1932 and 1984), Atlanta (1996), St. Louis (1904), Mexico City (1968), Lake Placid (1932 ad 1980), or Montreal (1976), you choose San Francisco, a city that has never hosted an Olympics and pretty much majored in protesting in college.
Well done.
@Chamomiles Davis: If I remember Contact correctly, you can add televising the Olympics to that as well.
...and in another show of support Eric Gagne will purposely throw fastballs towards the head of any major leaguer that looks Chinese.
To protest the treatment of the torch in France, the Chinese are no longer serving French Fries in the Forbidden City. They are now referred to as "Great Leap Forward Fries".
@dont-forget-where-you-came-from-cheese mac: As long as they get three over the line before the preps, they're fine.
Friends, for several reasons, the French Men's Bikini Thong Police Rollerblading Team is not sponsored by the Olympic Committee. If you've enjoyed these productions of classic plays of the 30's and 40's by French cops in bikini thongs on roller blades, then please make a donation, however small, to the FMBTPRT.
When did France hate someone other than America?
Capture the Flag with the Olympic Torch! It's like the best way to determine which country REALLY wins.
@MitchKayak: They didn't surrender to the torch, however they were very rude but offered to secretly collaborate with it.
@Lupicas!XofullofBile: Great minds and all
@UkraineNotWeak: Plus ein squared.
@Yostal: Geez, I wish I hadn't already wasted my "flaming things" joke.
Still, police barely stopped the second rush at the torch, and the attempt to extinguish it with water.
Possible Headline: Anti-Chinese Water Torch-er.
yeah, i was there!!!!!!!!!!
+ Watch video
holy moly that was a long time ago...
FREE TIBET!
@Yostal: The only other choice was to send it to Chicago, which is a 2016 bid city. Trouble is, Chicago has a real bad history with open flames.
Couldn't the officers have encircled the athlete, locked arms and created a ring of aridity to protect the flame?
@Camp Tiger Claw: It wasn't nice of Mike Hampton to derail that train, either. Or set fire to that hotel. Or cause that plane to crash.
Anyway it's all more interesting than women's volleyball.
I take offense to that as a red blooded American male there are several things that are interesting about women's volleyball.
People were pissed when France refused to go into Iraq with us. They can't defend a freaking lighter.
@RonZookonRedBull:
I don't recall Harvey Fierstein having any problems there.
If only China would change their human rights policies then we could put this issue tibet.
No? Sorry, I'll show myself out.
@metrobulls: It's just the Goose and the wave.
@metrobulls:
The wave is mine.
Why not make extinguishing the Olympic torch an Olympic event. This is more exciting than anything we'll see in Beijing and less steroids too!
They need another guy with a decoy torch. Then make a turn down a dead-end alley and let the protesters follow until the end up walking into a wall and piling up on each other. It worked for Delta house.
@OchentaYcinco: until they end up...
/zero...point...zero