A Sign or Warning to the Earthlings? -- April Snow covers London ahead
of Olympic torch relay
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Snow covers London ahead of Olympic torch relay
Reuters
By Avril Ormsby Reuters - Sunday, April 6 09:52 am
LONDON (Reuters) - Snow fell across London on Sunday before an Olympic
torch relay through the capital that is expected to attract anti-China
protests.
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About 80 athletes and celebrities will carry the torch by foot, bike,
boat and bus during a 31-mile (50-km) journey starting at Wembley
Stadium and ending in Greenwich.
The 2008 Games take place in Beijing from August 8 to 24. The next
Summer Olympics are in London in 2012.
Anti-China protesters are set to appear at key points along the route.
Police have said they will be dealt with firmly if they try to disrupt
the torch's journey.
The event has drawn "substantial" interest from groups who plan to stage
protests against China's human rights record and its crackdown on
independence campaigners in Tibet, Scotland Yard has said.
Police have been notified of at least six protests, including one
outside Downing Street where Prime Minister Gordon Brown is due to greet
the flame, carried by a local schoolboy.
About 2,000 police officers will be on duty during the day, including
some on bicycles to keep up with the torch.
Organisers will be hoping no more torchbearers drop out of the event
after a handful withdrew in the run-up to Sunday.
The BBC's deputy director general Mark Byford backed out due to concerns
his participation would compromise the cor****ation's journalistic
standards.
China's ambassador to London, Fu Ying, was expected to take part despite
concern she would act as a focal point of protests.
Tens of thousands of spectators are expected to line the route.
Among those they will be cheering on will be tennis player Tim Henman,
girl band Sugababes, actress Denise van Outen, news presenter Trevor
McDonald, violinist Vanessa Mae, yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur and Arsenal
footballer Theo Walcott.
Former rower Steve Redgrave, who won gold medals at five consecutive
Olympics, will start the relay and it will end when the flame is handed
to middle distance athlete Kelly Holmes, who won two gold medals at the
2004 Games.
The Olympic torch arrived on Saturday evening from St Petersburg,
Russia, and heads to Paris after London.
The route will take in 21 international cities and every Chinese
province before the Beijing Games open.
(Editing by Robert Woodward)
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