Lord Coe blasts horrible Chinese thugs who barged their way through London

[Flashermac]

Lord Coe last night condemned the army of Chinese "thugs" who accompanied the Olympic torch relay through London.

 

[color:red]The head of London's 2012 Games described as "horrible" the burly henchmen who barged their way through the capital, shoving the public and even police out of the way.[/color]

 

His trenchant remarks followed those of former Blue Peter presenter and torchbearer Konnie Huq, who revealed the Chinese minders barked orders at her and pushed her arm up to hold the flame higher.

 

Sunday's scenes, which were repeated in France yesterday, brought accusations that Britain had imported Chinese police state tactics to control the supposedly showcase relay.

 

Lord Coe made his remarks during a conference phone call, which unknown to him, was being recorded by a Channel 4 reporter who had been put through accidentally.

 

Referring to the Chinese security guards, who were in France yesterday with the torch on the next leg of its world tour, he said: "One thing in Paris is to get rid of those guys. They tried to push me out of the way three times. They are horrible. They did not speak English. They were thugs."

 

Wearing blue tracksuits, the 14 minders surrounded the symbolic flame, pushing anyone who tried to get near, as it was relayed 31 miles across London.

 

Miss Huq, one of 80 torchbearers said: "The men in blue perplexed everyone. Nobody seemed to know who they were officially or what their title was. They were very robotic, very full on, and I noticed them having skirmishes with our own police and the Olympic authorities before our leg of the relay, which was confusing.

 

"They were barking orders at me, like 'Run! Stop!' and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, who are these people?'

 

"They kept pushing my hand up higher when I was holding the torch, so they were...interesting."

 

...

 

 

Yesterday, there was still mystery over the Chinese minders. Matt Whitticase, of the Free Tibet Campaign, said: "Who authorised them? They should have no jurisdiction on the streets of Britain.

 

[color:red]"It is a very creepy snapshot of Chinese security coming to London. The whole thing reminded people of what policing is like in China."[/color]

 

The Greater London Authority, which coorganised the event, said: "They were brought over by the Beijing organising committee. They were the responsibility of Beijing."

 

 

The Orympics mean peace and flien'ship!!

[Torneyboy]

They are not welcome in OZ ..our own cops will police the run...

[Guest lazyphil]

those 'thugs' must be the elite special forces or something on those lines. seems odd they are in london, understandable if protecting the boss of china but the olympic flame, oh well.

 

the thing is, all this bluster about the chinese olympics and tibet, sudan and whatever else is deemed unhealthy is all fine and dandy, boycotting it, banners, protests, but its all very hollow gesturing. unless people, governments cease trading with china then its meaningless. china has the green light to do what it wants by everyone trading with them. its irritating me now.

[Flashermac]

The Chinese are an extremely proud people. The name of their country in their own language means the Central Kingdom. They honestly believe they are the centre of the world, if not the universe. All of the protests are hitting them exactly where it hurts them - in their pride.

 

The people who are doing this for the most part are individuals, human rights groups etc. Our wonderful politicians (e.g. Bushman, Brownie) care only for money and power. Don't expect them to do anything. The protests by and large are the man on the street telling the PRC to fahk off until it learns how to act civlised. China's reaction is to blame it on everyone except themselves, since the Chinese are superior and have the right to act like shites.

 

 

p.s. When the Olympics were held in Berlin in 1936, did Hitler send Brownshirts to escort the torch through London? Some how I doubt it. This does give you an idea of what the Olympics will be like in Beijing. I suspect these are probably simply ordinary typically ignorant Chinese policemen.

 

 

 

 

 

[simie]

Someone used the term "robots". Sounds about right, as you say they probably just brainwashed Chinese coppers. And because they think China is the centre of the universe can push people around as they are used to doing at home?

Simie.

[Guest lazyphil]

the dented pride could make them more belligerent towards tibet and intensify their quest there. i wonder if the protesters consider this possibility?

[The_Munchmaster]

They are not welcome in OZ ..our own cops will police the run...

From the safety of their favourite pie shops. :smirk:

 

[Torneyboy]

No ..on the streets protecting the flame...

[Julian2]

You have inside information?

You realise that the police in Australia are still trying to exist on a Costello budget?

You don't think that they will leap at the chance of Chinese "private security"?

I heard they were all San Francisco Chinese working for Blackwater anyway.

[Torneyboy]

Public knowledge ...no Chinese on the route...

 

And here is a scoop for you ..your mate Rudd has pulled out and will not carry the torch now ..