The San Francisco Citizen

This was the scene yesterday in the Western Addition, where hundreds of protesters blocked traffic in front of the Chinese Consulate. Drivers on the Geary Expressway, already wary of dangerous all-electric supercars, should experience a similar gauntlet today.

And then the action heads over to the East Bay.

This was yesterday’s schedule from Team Tibet SF:

In San Francisco
11:30-12:00 PRESS CONFERENCE
12:00-1:30 Peace Rally, Concert at Union Square
March to City hall
2:00-2:30 Rally at City Hall
March to Chinese Consulate
3:30-4:30 Protest at Chinese Consulate
4:30-5:15 Walk back to Union Sqaure
5:15-7:00pm Break. Food and Beverages provided by SF TEAM TIBET
7:00-9:00pm Candle Light Vigil w/ Cultural Show at Union Square

Here is today’s

August 24

12:00-3:00pm Protest at the Chinese Consulate

Evening event at Finnish Brotherhood Church in Berkeley on University Ave and cross
street at Chestnut Ave.

Program: 6:00-10:00pm Dinner, Annual Report, Film, Short Presentation

The Opening Ceremonies are going on right now in China, but this is how it looked on the Streets of San Francisco yesterday as a couple hundred marchers made their way to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco’s Western Addition area.

Read all about it.

You can read about what happened today at the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco here - did somebody cut the rope of dangling trespasser Nyendak Wangden causing her to fall 15 feet or so? Well, it could have been worse of course.

But maybe these gentlemen here saw what happened and could help clear things up. You see, they like to hang out on the roof of the consulate when protests are going on. The State Department is looking into things right now. Click to enlarge:

Perhaps they just hang out there to enjoy San Francisco’s excellent air quality?

No matter. These are the same people who recently denied Bay Arean medal-winner Kendra Zanotto a visa to go to Beijing. Why? It seems her interest in Team Darfur played a role.

Sorry Kendra, no soup for you!

Oh well.

News of the day:

Chinese torch officials have been warned their paramilitary “flame attendants” will be arrested and hauled away if they touch an Australian during the torch relay. 

So that’s clear. There’ll be no manhandling Down Under in the name of “protecting the sacred flame” or whatever job description these Men in Blue have.  

But check out this scene on the streets of San Francisco a few weeks back - at least one member of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force (PAP) in a physical altercation with an American citizen, Majora Carter.

Apparently, the handler (a Chinese woman who sits in a car and issues commands via radio) of these so-called “goons“ didn’t get the message they weren’t to assault Americans during the visit to San Francisco. Wonder why.

Desmond Tutu, Richard Gere, and Majora Carter all happy as clams under the watchful eyes of Fake Bono during a pre torch-relay shindig in San Francisco

mcdolley via Flickr

Anyway, Coke now takes a dim view of the activist they recruited for the torch relay:

A Coca-Cola spokesman, Kelly Brooks, said, “It’s unfortunate that Ms. Carter used an invitation to participate in the torch relay as a platform to make a personal political statement. We firmly believe the Olympics are a force for good that celebrates the best in sports, and we are proud to support the Beijing 2008 Olympics.”

Were the 1936 Olympics “a force for good” also? It seems Coke might have had hand in that fiasco as well.  We’ll all just have to ponder that one.

But it turns out that Majora signed a “code of conduct” that prohibited torchbearers from displaying political or religious signs. So what’s Coke’s next move? Extradition to Atlanta, Georgia? Rendition to Beijing? How are they going to make Majora pay for speaking out, because after all, you know, she signed a piece of paper.

The world wonders.