Don't Watch This: Confucius
You're hot then you're cold. What gives, North Korea?
China's sick healthcare system breeding antibiotic-resistant "superbugs"
Meet the Spanish pavilion's Miguelin: the first female Expo mascot?
Video: Riding down Da Jing Lu
And here's an assortment of pictures that will give you a good sense of what we saw and experienced:
Photos by Hélène Franchineau
UPDATE, 02:32: The torch has been extinguished a third time.
UPDATE 2, 02:48: This raw video of the protest just in from AP:
UPDATE 3, 02:50: BBC videos here and here (unfortunately non-embeddable)
UPDATE 4, 02:53: French report from BFM TV
UPDATE 5, 02:57: Report by CNN
UPDATE 5, 02:59: Video from paskanoi shows pro-China demonstrators are out in full force too
UPDATE 6, 03:02: Another report by BFM TV (in French)
UPDATE 6, 03:07: France24 reports the Olympic flame extinguished several times and forced to travel by bus
UPDATE 7, 03:26: In a related development elsewhere, pro-Tibetan protestors have scaled the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The Olympic torch is scheduled to be in SF this Wednesday. Our sister blog SFist live-blogs the incident. Also check out KPIX's live cam for what's going on right now.
UPDATE 8, 09:27: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu has said early this morning that "foreign media reports saying the Olympic torch was forced to be extinguished during the relay in Paris were FALSE":
The modes of the relay in Paris were temporarily changed to safeguard the security and dignity of the Olympic torch under the circumstances there, Jiang said in a statement released by the ministry."The reports by foreign media are false in claiming that the Olympic torch was forced to be extinguished during its relay in Paris," said Jiang.
The torch relay in Paris has now safely completed as scheduled, she said.
Thank goodness for Xinhua being a beacon of truth in this world full of lies!
UPDATE 9, 09:35: Video of anti-Chinese protestor being led away by police from VNQuehuong1:
UPDATE 10, 09:37: Video report from Al-Jazeera's Tim Friend
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Good! it is like a carnival! Those French antics and clowns finally show up! We are so lucky to see those white trash!
Very nice, Richard. Moving on from misogynist insults to racist ones. Bravo!
According Wiki white trash is only derogatory, but not racist.
Well, there you have it. What's Wiki say about [insert derogatory term for Chinese person here]?
The torch relay is bringing out the worst in lots of people. Richardlee please just shut up! The protesters trying to 'wrestle' the torch from a 5 foot tall woman show the faults of their side while your juvenile insults destroy the credibility of yours. There is no doubt that China has human rights problems, as do many countries, that need to be addressed but addressed in a way that has a possibility of working. Attacking the Olympic movement is counterproductive. At the risk of being mocked as a complete pollyanna I will say nice job of turning something that should symbolize the unity of humankind and striving to be our best in a small fragile world into a political circus. Both sides that are screaming and shouting in the streets should be ashamed. I know I will be attacked as an apologist for the Chinese government for making this point but if you really think you are helping the cause of the Tibetan people by attacking the torchbearers I think you are sadly mistaken. If you want to influence the Chinese government economics boycotts and divestment are the real effective tools. Attacking something that most people see as a unifying symbol in a fractured world is only self satisfying. I enjoy events like the Olympics and the World Cup because they offer a glimpse of the possibility of cooperative world that can actually accomplish something other than trade. I think if anything can save us it will be meaningful cultural exchange. I guess I'm just a sentimental old fool eh?
@ Less:
"If you want to influence the Chinese government economics boycotts and divestment are the real effective tools. "
That would be the best way, but corporations nor the politicians they, uh, influence in Japan, SK, Canada, Oz, the US, India or EU would go for that.
Corporations are now so stuck in China that if they really rubbed Beijing the wrong way, I'd bet on nationalization of hard assets or at least huge penalties accounting for nearly all of those companies' China cash reserves. It would be like having both of your arms hacked off.
The next most acceptable form of protest would be to physically assault Wall St. and London bankers and MNC executives, they are hard to hit targets.
That leaves the Olympics. I don't want to see the torch bearers attacked ( bloddied blue suits would be grrrrrrreat!) but they chose to carry this torch and the blood of Tibetans and Uyghurs, as well as countless Chinese peasants, runs down their arms as they run through the streets.
Thus they are part of the problem and not the solution. If any of the torch runners had a sense of morality, they'd toss the torch into a crowd of anti-China protesters.
Stinky mutton kabob:
As i said before, go home. I will chase you wherever you go. F**k your mother!
to Les Izmore:
you are just naive. Do you think it will work by calmly reasoning with those ignorant and arrogant westerners? no way. I tried. Now my philosophy is if those westerners want to meddle it, fine. But Don't complain my strong words. that is also a part of game. it is fair to every part.
Your strong words are somewhat diminished by your illiterate idiocy, Richard Lee. I am torn between the belief that you are a parody of the ugliest aspects of jingoistic Chinese blather, or actually the real, hate mongering moron you appear to be. Let's all hope it's the former.
Rlee-I may just be naive but your poison only creates more poison for your side. We should put you and mutton man in a box and let you beat each other to death then us naive people can try to go about fixing the world we have to share. When global warming starts to destroy the world the solution for people like you and nanahey will be to start shooting anyone who comes near your own pile of canned food.
Nanhey- so your idea is to attack the 'soft targets' rather than the real culprits. There are other bloodthirsty movements active in the world that advocate the same techniques. The media calls those tactics terrorism. I was active in divestment protests in the US during the fight against South Africa's apartheid government and the California farm workers movement. When enough people and institutions started divesting the US government and corporations were forced to acquiesce. The only way to hit "Wall St. and London bankers and MNC executives" is in the wallet. But I think the milk you suck all comes from a corporate tit, no?
Governments and business set up the game so they always win. East or West the ruling classes use the media to keep the 'cattle' in line. That is how the world works. The only real power that people have is where they spend their money.
@ Less
Rich people won't learn because governments bail them out.
Power flows from the barrel of a gun. Burn it all and start over.
to jiminycricket
Glad to you pick up the fight. F**k your mother first. And i can tell you I have PHD, not illiterate. Do you have a PHD? I don't think so. Or maybe you would say having a Phd doesn't mean the one is literate. Well, keep your loser's logic. I am currently living in US. so do more work for Jingoism or brainwash theory. That must be challenging for illiterate you
Richard Lee,
You've got a PhD and you have to resort to some "fuck your mother" comeback? At least a good "your momma is so..." joke.
Are you a doctor of Bad China propaganda?
Gladiators to the arena! Let the games begin! This is a grudge match made in heaven...
Spoken like a true intellectual, Richard. I stand corrected, you are quite obviously a man of letters.
Paris relay is a shame, but the shame is not on China, the shame is on Paris, France, Free-tibet.
A pro-tibet person beat and tried to snatch the torch from a disabled torchbearer,a girl, what a brave action!!! well done.
Golden medal -- those 'mainstream' west free media, who have successfully turned Chinese 'silent watchers' to be active patriotism.
Silver medal -- Free-tibet. Finally we fully understand what you want and what you are capable of
Bronze medal -- Paris police force who cannot protect a disabled girl.
@bamboos
Um, when the torch enters a country, typically that country's athletes/VIPs get to run the torch.
So why was a PRC athlete running the torch and was it any coincidence that she was handicapped?
The PRC put her out there as a sacrificial lamb.
And how many handicapped Tibetans, Uyghurs and NK refugees has the PAP/PLA brutalized (and done a much more gruesome job).
Burn China burn!
nanheyangrouchuan OR 南河羊肉串？
basically, i believe it is waist of time to response to any of your comments. but i do feel amused by your last statement: 'Burn China'
I assume you are living in China right now, so, you are willing to get burned together with us? WOW, thanks for your participation :-D
The fire will light up the night sky!
What do Tibetans want?
Probably many different things...
does American negotiate with terrorist?
Bamboos- there is no use negotiating with nanheyangrouchuan either!