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China condemns 'vile' Olympic torch protests Richard Edwards and David Thomas China has condemned the "vile" pro-Tibet protests which threatened to force the abandonment of the Olympic torch relay through London yesterday. In Beijing, Olympic organisers called the protests in London an act of "sabotage", while an unnamed official quoted by the state-run Xinhu news agency accused the protesters of stirring clashes with police. "Today a tiny number of Tibet independence elements sought to disrupt the relay of the Olympic Games sacred flame through London."
"We strongly condemn this vile behaviour," the official said. Throughout the 31-mile route, campaigners protesting against China's crackdown on pro-independence activists in Tibet and its human rights record, broke from the crowds and charged towards the flame. However, Olympic minister Tessa Jowell defended the protesters right to demonstrate against China's human rights record. Ms Jowell told BBC Radio 4 that it would have been a "great mistake" to abandon the relay in light of the protests.
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