Saying no to China’s oppression of Tibet—not to the Olympic Torch relay—would have been the proper approach to the torch’s journey around the world, but fanatics being what they are, there was no consideration given to, for example, the wheelchair athlete who was carrying the torch in Paris on April 6.
I agree wholeheartedly that China has overstepped its bounds and failed to peacefully address autonomy concerns in Tibet, but sacre bleu! Being chosen to carry the torch is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for athletes, and these thoughtless demonstrators have basically ambushed and endangered those athletes by attempting to snatch the torch from their hands (and in some cases have succeeded in doing so). Does this further Tibet’s cause? Not one iota. In fact, it does just the opposite. Some people who may have felt sympathetic to Tibet have become more sympathetic to China as they have watched these antics. And who could blame them? How is it peaceful to douse the dreams of the torchbearers?