PARIS - Security officials extinguished the Olympic torch for a second time on Monday amid heavy protests during the torch relay in Paris.
Police escorted the flame onto a bus, apparently to move it away from protesters.
The flame was being carried out of a Paris traffic tunnel by an athlete in a wheelchair when it was stopped because protesters booed and began chanting "Tibet."
It was the second time Monday that officials extinguished the torch amid protests. The procession was apparently being continued on board a bus.
When the torch passed through London a day earlier, police repeatedly scuffled with protesters. One tried to grab the torch, while another tried to snuff out the flame with what appeared to be a fire extinguisher. Thirty-seven people were arrested.
Activists angry about China’s human rights record and a recent crackdown on Tibet have been protesting along the torch route since the flame embarked on a 85,000-mile journey from Ancient Olympia in Greece to Beijing for the Aug. 8-24 Olympic Games.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has even raised the possibility of signaling his discontent over China’s human rights record, suggesting he might boycott the Olympic opening ceremony.
The Summer Olympics really don't have any significance for me. I am a Winter Olympics person because of hockey--Olympic hockey is skill oriented on a larger rink and the game flows much faster. The NHL made attempts this season to replicate that as best it could by allowing the two line pass, but I digress.
Next time, don't award the Olympics to a country that has issues with international law, torture, coal mine safety, product safety, health safety, human rights, allowing the formation of trade unions, militarily occupying other countries and the environment.
In short, scratch China and the US from any future plans. (Thanks again, Bush Administration--you're hell-bent on beating China to the bottom, aren't you?) And you could scrap the Summer Olympics entirely and it wouldn't bother me a bit.
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