Protestors mar Olympic torch relay
Updated on 06 April 2008
Pro-Tibet protesters disrupt runners, as the flame is carried behind police and body guards during the London procession for the Olympics.
It was meant to be a celebration of the Olympic spirit, part of China's charm offensive before the Beijing Games - and an advertisement of British efficiency ahead of the 2012 games.
Instead the procession of the Olympic flame through London wasn't quite the spectacle the Bejing government was after as time and again pro-Tibet demonstrators lunged at the torch.
At one point a protestor almost wrenched the precious flame out of the hands of TV presenter Konnie Huq, minutes later another tried to douse it with a fire extinguisher.
In conditions more suited to a winter Olympic relay, in the shelter of Wembley Stadium, it all began according to plan.
A genteel round of applause and Sir Steve Redgrave was off, trailed by a group of smiling children and teenagers and two rather stern looking Chinese torch attendants, as the Olympic flame was on the streets of London.
And so too were the pro-Tibetan protestors - the first arrest happened within minutes.
The blue and white track-suited torch attendants were now in Praetorian Guard formation.
Through Notting Hill the television presenter Konnie Huq waved, smiled and then disappeared amidst a sea of flailing arms as a protestor grabbed the torch.
Some tried to grab the torch; others attempted to just put it out with pump action water pistols - and potentially more effective fire extinguishers.
There were protestors to the left, protestors to the right but all the time the officers of the Met surged, cycled and occasionally leapt forward.
