Your allowed to Protest here...but you'l still be arrested..

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  1. #31

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mat:
    because if they did not, the games would not have been awarded to them
    well precisely...I think it is fair to say that they have effectively wasted the opportunity to change the way the rest of the world views china with the olympics, by making such promises (and yes I know all countries, politicians etc lie, but we are talking about image rather than morals) and then blatently going against them...but then, I'm not sure they really give a tom tit.

  2. #32

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    Quote Originally Posted by gilleshk:
    What most people care about is not some stupid protest zone or whether someone can wave a Tibet flag.

    What matters is that it's a good show, that what the people are watching is athletes breaking records and getting medals, that everything is running smoothly.

    In that regards, these are good Olympics and to me that's all that matters. China isn't sticking it to the world, they're simply putting on a good show and frankly nitpicking about other things is quite obviously more about politics or one's feeling about China than about the games themselves.

    Could not agree more with that!

  3. #33

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    Quote Originally Posted by gilleshk:
    I frankly don't see any problems with clamping down on protests and protesters during the Olympics. Let the cameras be on the athletes instead of some Falun Gong nutcase, that's what the Olympics are supposed to be about...
    I too don't have a lot of trouble on this issue as authorities there have enough to worry about with terrorists who might want to put their own stain on the Olympics.

    Protests take a lot of police resources to deal with as the protesters themselves in some situations often need protection from other groups. If I were an athlete or a family member of an athlete in Beijing or just a citizen or visitor there, I'd prefer the authorities to be doing their jobs protecting the games' venues, the athletes and the spectators as well as any other targets these terrorists might have in mind rather than standing guard over a protest that in the end might prove to be the kind of inadvertent diversionary event that provides cover to people who are out to do serious harm and damage to innocent civilians and others.

    While I am sure China has lots of resources focused on preventing serious problems, these resources have limits and over time like an Olympic event, become harder as your people get more tired and possibly not as observant.

    As to people being detained who are applying for a protest time and day, what did they expect? If they are visitors there, and I were a citizen of that country, I'd want the officials to carefully scrutinize who they are and what they are all about. It is no different in my country, Canada. If a foreign visitor turns up at the border or in the police station applying for a demonstration, the authorities there are well within their rights and the law to deny them or to toss them out.

    I suspect during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, there will be a lower tolerance than usual for protests as BC and Canada will not want the problems of the downtown eastside, drugs and high property crime being focused on by the media of the world. The also have had their share of protests at UBC when world leaders were there and they pepper sprayed some protesters. This led to a public inquiry.

    After the Countdown Clock event in Vancouver for its 2010 games was stormed by masked protesters who took over the microphones, I had occasion to drive by another event for groundbreaking a curling rink - The protesters and crowd were kept so far away it looked like the Olympic Relay crossing the Tsing Yi Bridge!!!! The clock fiasco was admitted by the Vancouver Police to have been under resourced.

    This is not just about the right to march, scream and wave a bunch of placards. It is also about providing public safety for everyone and right now those resources are needed to prevent terroristic idiots.
    Last edited by Football16; 14-08-2008 at 03:43 PM.

  4. #34

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    Well you know what...I'd rather be known for someone that stands up for what they believe than a pushover...

    I don't necessarily agree with many of China's policy but I love the fact that they don't let themselves be pushed around by certain countries. China does what they think is right for their country and in their own time...

    Reminds me of the american kid that vandalized in Singapore. I think that beating someone up is barbaric but at the same time I was glad that they didn't back down to the US...

    Anyway a country that puts minors and retarded people to death has little to say to another about being barbaric...


  5. #35

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mat:
    Could not agree more with that!
    Amen to that!

  6. #36

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    Quote Originally Posted by DanielandHayley:
    well precisely...I think it is fair to say that they have effectively wasted the opportunity to change the way the rest of the world views china with the olympics, by making such promises (and yes I know all countries, politicians etc lie, but we are talking about image rather than morals) and then blatently going against them...but then, I'm not sure they really give a tom tit.
    To be very realistic they have very little chance to change the way the rest of the world see them, since a lot of people are not willing to acknowledge the enormous progress they have made already in such a short time....

    As for image, I think the promises from the Bush administratrion that Iraq had WMD was quite a good one and far more devastating....

    China is so far putting a fantastic show and what most people really care about is records, sports and that no terrorist attack/bombing/other kind of tragedies occur during the game.

  7. #37

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    That reminds me, I need to get started with preparations for the "Free Quebec" protests in Vancouver.


  8. #38

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    Vive le Quebec libre!


  9. #39

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    Quote Originally Posted by gilleshk:
    Well you know what...I'd rather be known for someone that stands up for what they believe than a pushover...

    I don't necessarily agree with many of China's policy but I love the fact that they don't let themselves be pushed around by certain countries. China does what they think is right for their country and in their own time...

    Reminds me of the american kid that vandalized in Singapore. I think that beating someone up is barbaric but at the same time I was glad that they didn't back down to the US...

    Anyway a country that puts minors and retarded people to death has little to say to another about being barbaric...
    You could have added that a western country who refuses to recognize jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court is also one who should be more quiet (USA). Or the one that holds prisoners in Guantanamo and then tries the guy by military tribunal and gives him a sentence but then admits the guy is not likely to get out then (USA).

    You do have to respect when in another's nation the way they do things or simply choose to stay away much like me not visiting a relative I didn't like.

  10. #40

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    Quote Originally Posted by gilleshk:
    What most people care about is not some stupid protest zone or whether someone can wave a Tibet flag.

    What matters is that it's a good show, that what the people are watching is athletes breaking records and getting medals, that everything is running smoothly.

    In that regards, these are good Olympics and to me that's all that matters. China isn't sticking it to the world, they're simply putting on a good show and frankly nitpicking about other things is quite obviously more about politics or one's feeling about China than about the games themselves.
    Yeah, let me sit back and watch my TV in peace. Who cares that they evicted 1.25million people from their houses in Beijing. These people have to realise that sport is more important. Anyone who lost their home shouldn't be allowed to protest in the "authorised protest zone" - luckily anyone who wants to protest has to turn up, to the police station, in person at least three days before and lodge their application.

    "The Geneva-based Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) has jointly named the Beijing Municipality and the Beijing Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG) one of three Housing Rights Violators of 2007 for the eviction and displacement of over 1.25 million people. Each year, COHRE presents its Housing Rights Violator Awards to three governments or other institutions guilty of particularly serious and pervasive housing rights violations in the preceding year."
    COHRE - Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions

    /now, where did I put my TV guide....

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