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Courtesy: Don Farber




The Tibetan National Flag

Last Update: 1/25/08

OLYMPIC TORCH PROTEST, SAN FRANCISCO - APRIL 2008

Photos courtesy of The Tibet Connection Radio Show

PART TWO:  9 APRIL 2008 - Olympic Torch Relay  After sleeping at one of the Tibetan's house in Concorde, we arrived at the Embarcadero, the site of the proposed torch relay...at least, that's what we were led to believe.  Thousands and thousands walked the streets nearby in anticipation of the torch.  Unlike yesterday's sense of togetherness, this day was frought with tension and conflict.  And confusion as to where the torch was.
9 April 2008. 

Hundreds of Tibetans march down the Embarcadero, with thousands more cheering them on.
On this day, the Tibetan supporters were not the only ones protesting.  Thousands of pro-China supporters were out in force, cheering for China, and sometimes jeering and taunting the Tibetans.  Here, three pro-China supporters argue with a Tibetan over whether Tibetan is a sovereign nation or part of China.
Not all the discussions were vitriolic.  Two of the red flag-waving Chinese people we spoke to were initially arguing with a Tibetan guy. Turns out that despite this, they were not fond of the Chinese government and had protested at Tiananmen Square.

Although they would not concede that Tibet was not part of China, we came to an understanding about the poor treatment and killing of Tibetans at the hands of the Chinese. They believed that this was happening, but hadn't heard much news about it.

Two Tibetan women march as a pro-China supporter jumps up and down, waving the flag of China and shouting 'LIAR!!  LIAR!!!"
A noisy class between Tibetans and Chinese on the Embarcadero in a tension-filled day. 

Many Chinese people were grinning and waving red flags and chanting "LIAR! LIAR!!" or "CHINA IS BEST SUPER POWER" or "CHINA IS GREAT!!!", and many flashed signs imploring people to keep the politics out of the Olympics. 
9 April 2008 on the Embarcadero, anticipating the arrival of the torch.  The torch never arrived.  People milled around the Embarcadero, where it was scheduled to arrive shortly after 1:00 pm.  People frantically called me on my cell phone:  "Have you heard anything about the torch?  I heard it was going to be on a boat!"  Still another heard that it was near the Golden Gate Bridge.  Or going down Van Ness.  No one knew.
One of the dissenting voices among the Chinese-American population in San Francisco.
Many of the pro-China people feel that the Dalai Lama is a liar, a "splittist" who incites violence and lies about the atrocities in Tibet.  They also feel that Tibet is and always has been a part of China, and that the Tibetans are ruining the Olympic events by making the Olympic events political.  Holding the Olympics is a great source of national pride for China, and the worldwide protests of the crackdown in China horrifies them.
Tibetan supporters gathered a very large banner and stretched it across Steuart Street near Market.  One pro-China supporter ran in front and then stood, waving the flag of China, calling them liars (shown here).  Soon, others from both sides ran forward, with everyone shouting, pointing, and getting tangled in the long banner.
ISome of the thousands of pro-Chinese supporters waiting for one of the many chartered buses to take them back home.

In the end, none of saw the torch because of Mayor Newsom's odd hide-and-seek game, where the torch would suddenly appear unnanounced, be whisked into a bus or warehouse, only to appear elsewhere a couple of miles further. One of the relay runners pulled out a small Tibetan flag from her sleeve. She was instantly tackled by Chinese torch guards.

The following photos are courtesy of The Tibet Connection.  Back to Part One, the Rallies and Protests on 8 April 2008, are here.

Peaceful Protest Against Crackdown in Tibet - Epoch Times Article covering Global Day of Action protest

 

San Francisco Tibet Protests, Olympic Torch
Description: San Francisco 8 & 9 April 2008 Tibet protests during the Olympic Torch relay

Avaaz - Petition to end the violence in Tibet

Senior Producer Christal Smith of The Tibet Connection also came with us on the van.  Read her essay about the protests here.
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