Canberra Olympic Torch Relay Hijacked by Chinese
April 25, 2008
April 24 saw the Olympic Torch Relay hit the streets of Canberra, Australia.
Pictured at left is Tania Major who had the honor of being the first torchbearer to carry the sacred flame.
I was on hand at Reconciliation Place in Canberra to witness the event.
It was an interesting day. As a long time Olympic fan I was excited to see the flame in Canberra.
On my arrival at the torch relay ceremony I was greeted by a sea of red. Many thousands of Chinese students had been bussed into the Nations Capital to show their support for the torch relay.
This was disappointing in a way as it made it harder to witness the event however it also added to the atmosphere so overall I saw it as a positive.
My daughter and my wife enjoyed the occasion however many of Canberra’s residents did not agree. Some said they were shocked by the behavior of the Chinese students as the flame moved around the city. The students surged to the security fencing and shoved aside the locals.
In my experience I did not see this. Most of the Chinese were well behaved and I never felt I was in a situation where my 6 year old daughter was in danger of being trampled or was pushed aside by the crowd.
Overall the day has been hailed a success. I would agree with this. It showed the Olympic spirit is as alive and well in Australia and the onlookers were easily able to view the torch as it moved along the Canberra streets.
What people think of the Chinese invasion differs. Some see it as thousands of people having been brainwashed by the leaders of their country. I see it as people being proud of their country and just wanting to display this love of the country they hail from.
I look forward to August 2008 when I will be in Beijing for the Olympics.
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