Pirate's Cove

Let me get this straight: the elders of San Francisco have no problem with the nutty and anti-American protesters, the folks that are constantly marching against America trying to finish the mission in Iraq, letting out their BDS, and against military recruitment centers (yes, I know the recent news has it being Berkley, but, the nutters have done it in SF, too.) The city council love illegal aliens, and ban ROTC in schools and the military from doing Fleet Week and Blue Angels demonstrations. Yet

Hours before the Olympic torch was to begin its journey, pro-China forces and Tibetan sympathizers staked out their positions at the spot where it was to end the day in triumph.

The flame would never arrive.

The iconic symbol of the Olympic movement, one that had sparked violent protests in Europe days earlier, had become such a lightning rod for dissent that police and city officials yesterday aborted much of the planned relay. The scheduled 10-kilometre circuit was drastically reduced and rerouted away from demonstrators.

Don’t misunderstand, I am not against the protests against China for what they are doing in Tibet. I think, for a change, it is good protest, a worthy protest, and I would bet that conservatives were out there with liberals. If they had one here, I’d go out (if it didn’t interfere with work).

But, the city of San Francisco felt that the protest could get too ugly, and potentially violent – you know, they might burn a Chinese flag instead of an American one – so they moved the route.

Police shooed some sign-wavers away from the performances, including Katherine Strickland of San Francisco, who held a cardboard sign reading “Boycott China” in the front row. The officer who escorted her told The Chronicle that police were removing people who might spark a confrontation.

Strickland took her sign elsewhere, but was still miffed.

“I thought we were free to demonstrate on the street in San Francisco,” she said.

Well, Katherine, not if you are not “peaceable,” as the Constitution lays out.

Interesting how the city elders have no problems with violence or potential violence during the usual demonstrations that occur there, eh?

Trackposted to Rosemary’s Thoughts, Nuke Gingrich, Allie is Wired, Right Truth, The World According to Carl, A Newt One- Coverage of Vets on the hill!, Celebrity Smack, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, A Newt One-punking the global warming cult, Right Voices, Adeline and Hazel, The Yankee Sailor, and Chuck’s Place, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.