On the Olympic Torch Demonstrations

Since the Olympic Torch was lit in Greece, its route to Beijing has been met with thousands of protesters proclaiming their disgust with China's shunning of Tibet and China's state of Human Rights (or lake thereof). Protests in Greece, England, and France have become physical with some of the protesters trying to put out the flame. I'm not sure if I have to elaborate any further as I'm sure you've all heard of this already; if you've been living under a rock, well then chances are you are just discovering the wheel (see here) and have no access to this post. If by chance you aren't a caveman and you haven't hear about this, my apologizes.


I am all for protesting for the rights of Tibet and the Chinese citizens, but I think it imperative to not become physical. First of all, lets not punish the athletes who carry the torch. I don't think their participation in this ancient tradition implies an indifference or ignorance to what is happening in Tibet and China, nor does it imply any support of China. Rather, their participation is the result of a life-long dream, and chances are they understand the traditional essence of the Olympic Torch: Peace, purity, and the pursuit of perfection. The flame doesn't represent China.

Secondly, and more importantly, physical or violent protests weaken the credibility of the cause. While in actuality these protesters are extremely enthusiastic and passionate, they come off as a bit maniacal and extreme, and thus the likelihood of action from China (or any entity being protested) diminishes.

I remember when Al Sharpton and a student activist group (the name escapes me) led a march to oppose Proposition 2 (Prop. 2 nullified Affirmative Action). This group invited many African American middle and high school students to join. Some of these students however acted irrationally and irresponsibly; spitting and name calling demonstrators from the opposing side. This was perceived in an extremely negative light (and rightly so) and that student organization and the movement as a whole lost a ton of credibility because of a handful of immature middle- & high- school students.

Once again, I am not trying to undermine the injustices of the Chinese government in any way. Anyone who knows me knows I am passionate about civil & human rights. But for the purpose of accomplishment we need to be non-violent.

"But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here is my idea (and bare with me because it just came to me and is no where near fruition): Instead of trying to extinguish the flame, march. Protesters should march the same route as the flame. Imagine the power of this image: an overhead shot of a single runner with a flame while about a quarter mile behind walks a seemingly endless trail of thousands of protesters singing, chanting, and waving banners. This demonstration could literally march itself across the world. It wouldn't be hard to follow because it is easy to find out where the torch will be next. The only thing is that the routes are starting to change to avoid confrontation, but after the threat of violent confrontations drop, the cat-and-mouse game could end.

Just think of how effective the March on Washington was. One could argue it was the greatest catalyst for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. I don't think there would be any shortage of supports, and a march of this length could generate some much positive publicity and opinion that it could gain support of leaders internationally.

It seems like a big task, but we already know the cities the flame with visit. I think it would be relatively easy to organize. The only problem is something would need to be done now. What do you think? Any ideas? Problems? Any thoughts? Please share!

One final note, my friend Adam has posted his latest entry about his time in India. He is a great writer and its a great read, although a long one. Check it out!