SAN FRANCISCO -- — The Olympic torch relay for the Beijing 2008 Games is set to make its only North American appearance here next week, but this politically charged city is still squabbling over whether to roll out or roll up the red carpet.
One supervisor accused Mayor Gavin Newsom of trying to keep the relay route a secret to stymie critics of China's human rights record. Advocates for Tibet, Darfur and the religious sect Falun Gong are among those who plan to protest the April 9 event, but rumors are flying that police will stop them from unfurling banners or even holding up signs. Newsom denies it.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors took a stand that seemed anything but welcoming, voting 8 to 3 for a resolution to greet the torch "with alarm and protest." The board shelved a competing resolution to welcome "in the true spirit of the Olympics" the Beijing torch and two others that arrive here next week -- a world human rights torch and a Tibetan freedom torch.
In introducing his successful resolution, Supervisor Chris Daly cited China's 1989 crackdown in Tiananmen Square as well as its repression of the press and religious groups.
"These may seem a bit out of reach for San Francisco supervisors. But this torch is coming to our city," he said to an ovation from a packed crowd that included robed monks and those holding up letters that spelled out "Expose Beijing." "And with it comes China's record and the attention of the international press. The eyes of the world will be watching San Francisco on April 9. China knows this."
Chinese officials are already displeased with the Bay Area's reception. They cite an incendiary device recently thrown against the door of the Chinese Consulate here. Consular officials say the board's theatrics haven't helped.
"If this resolution passes, it will hurt the Chinese people," consulate spokesman Defa Tong said before Tuesday's vote. "What they are doing is an insult to the torch relay."
By contrast, Pasadena's City Council pointedly rejected activists' calls to condemn China's human rights record before this year's Rose Parade, which featured a float celebrating the Beijing Olympics.
In San Francisco, a city that is one-third Chinese American, the torch's impending arrival has caused friction between residents who say they want to support China's rising economic and political power and human rights activists who want to embarrass the superpower. The activists see the lead-up to the Olympics as the best time to do so.
