Apr
10th
Thu
10th
San Francisco Torch Route Moved, Protest Accomplished
The nation’s only chance to see the Olympic flame up close became an elaborate game of hide-and-seek in San Francisco on Wednesday, as city officials secretly rerouted the planned torch relay. The closing ceremony to mark the flame’s only North American stop was also effectively canceled in the face of thousands of protesters and supporters, who waited for hours in vain along the flame’s announced route.
As someone who lives in San Francisco, and encounters the same police force’s attempts to curtail public protest on a monthly basis (Critical Mass) I gotta say yesterday came as absolutely no surprise to me. They know how crowds work. They didn’t even tell some officers about the change in plans, knowing they’re well trained for unpredictable mobs. When there’s talk of flying blood baloons on CriagsList, you take your torch somewhere else. What really disappoints me is that the unwitting spectators on Van Ness who had their route shut down because SFPD is too scared to run their actual route, just stood and watched. Didn’t you people get the memo! Free Tibet!