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Olympic officials and police blame each other over torch relay farce
Rob Singh and Matthew Beard7 Apr 2008
Olympic officials and the Metropolitan police are locked in a row over who was to blame for the torch relay farce which brought embarrassment to London.
Both sides claimed the other was in charge of the 31-mile parade through London which was supposed to be a celebration of this year's Games in Beijing and instead turned into a fiasco.
As many as 1,500 pro-Tibet demonstrators shadowed the relay over eight hours as it passed from Wembley to Greenwich through central London and past the 2012 Olympic site at Stratford.
A total of 37 people were arrested as the torch ended up being escorted by 10 blue-tracksuited Chinese security men, a phalanx of police wearing bicycle helmets and more specialist riot police in body armour - some of whom jogged the whole length of the route.
Some of those taking part in the torch relay spoke of being terrified as protesters hurled abuse, while demonstrators claimed the police had been heavyhanded and failed to allow lawful protest. Commander Bob Broadhurst, the officer in charge of the route, had more than 1,000 officers at his disposal but consistently found them overstretched by the scale of the protests.
He had been planning the event for a year with other senior Scotland Yard officers, officials from the Chinese embassy and 2012 organisers from City Hall. The London Olympics Organising Committee, which is headed by Lord Coe, was also involved in deciding the route.
Jiang Xiaoyu, executive vice-president of the Beijing Olympics Organising Committee, Bocog, was in London for the event and discussed with police whether to call it off.
He was said to be "severely embarrassed" by the farce. In China, spokesman for Bocog, said they were "disgusted" by what he described as "sabotage". Today police and the relay organisers blamed each other. Sources at Scotland Yard said all the decisions were made by Bocog and maintained the police only offered an advisory role on what the best course of action to take.
"We knew what the brief was, but the decision with regard to the route and the changes to how the torch was carried were not made by the police," a senior source said. "Any decision was going to be made to Bocog."
Mr Broadhurst said: "My log from yesterday is full of decisions where Bocog had made the call, not us. None of those decisions were made by us."
He said today that a review of security was made last week and senior officers, including the Met Commissioner, were happy with the policing plan.
He maintained that police had always anticipated the strength of protest and the numbers involved. But he added: "What I never expected was the level of determination to track the torch from Wembley to Greenwich."
Mr Broadhurst added there was no intelligence that protesters would take this form of action. "This was not planned. It was very spontaneous," he said. But the Chinese insisted they did not try to dictate policing for the relay and the responsibility of Chinese "flame attendants" was limited to protecting the flame and torchbearer with all other duties handled by the Met.
The Chinese had already been severely embarrassed when the "flame attendants" attacked pro-Tibet demonstrators in Athens. An event insider close to the organisers said today: "Bocog would seriously refute any claim that they were trying to call all the shots. The lesson was learned in Athens. The police were in charge. The buck stops with them."
One of the most embarrassing scenes came at St Paul's Cathedral, where cricketer Kevin Pietersen was prevented from getting off the open-top bus on which the flame was travelling to greet the Lord Mayor. Today neither side could even agree on who had stopped him getting off.
The Olympics insider said the police underestimated the persistence of the protesters. "There was a group of around 30 to 40 protesters who followed the relay the whole route and it was never clear when someone might jump out and have a go."
There was also disagreement over who was responsible for the route being so long.
It is believed that City Hall, as the main UK organisers and the London 2012 committee, Locog, wanted the relay to go through as many boroughs as possible to steer clear of the accusation that the 2012 Games are only focusing on east London.
Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell - who appeared on the streets of Downing Street with the torch but was almost elbowed out of the picture by the Chinese security men - also played a key part in the plan. The torch was due to arrive in Paris today where hundreds of police were deployed to prevent a repeat of the London scenes. Tory Metropolitan Police Authority member Richard Barnes called for a urgent review over how the Met police public order events. He said: "It all seemed to be a shambles. With 2,000 officers on the route keeping protesters at bay and somebody grabs the torch, it seems the result did not match up to the planning. Senior police in charged warned us that people trying to get to the torch will be stopped, but they were not. There has to be a failure somewhere." Commander Jo Kaye of the Met said "This was always going to be an interesting challenge, but it was also a public event.
"We needed a balance between this and total security. We knew that people wanted to try ad-hoc protests and that was always part of the policing plan to be prepared for that.
"As we clearly stated in advance of this event - we would facilitate lawful protest, which we have, but where people attempted to breach the safety, security and safe passage of the torchbearer and convoy, we would take appropriate and proportionate action. This we have done."
Police said today of the 37 arrests, three have been bailed pending further enquires and the remaining have either been cautioned, received a fixed penalty notice, or released with no further action.
Reader views (14)
A small taste of what is to come in 2012 when there will be protests about various countries being allowed to take part, legal arguments about which drug addled athletes can compete and who knows what other attempts at causing disruption to gain publicity. The games are no more that a compulsory purchase land grab and a shameful waste of public money at a time when income tax is is being raised for people who can least afford it.
- Mark, Bishop's Stortford, England, 08/04/2008 09:06
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It's time to scrap the current format of the Olympic Games altogether. They are precious little to do with sport and everything to do with corporate sponsorship, major power politics, drug-taking and heavy-handed security. The 2012 Games are already displaying signs of these features. The police are promising surveillance on every visitor and all tickets will have tracking devices - all in the name of security. Better to scrap the London Games and spend the money on affordable housing and work towards a new Olympics free from corporate and political control.
- Cissie, London, 08/04/2008 08:39
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Just where did the police manage to find 1000 policemen?
There was an article a couple of weeks ago when a man who caught a burglar in his home (admittedly outside London me-thinks) had to let him go because the police were busy on 'more important' business.
Just when will the people of Britain get a decent police force back on the streets for everyone, not just some politically motivated PR exercise.
- Terry, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, 08/04/2008 06:02
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Chinese secret service thugs can run through London, attacking protesters, supplanting our police and forcing the torch-bearer to hold the torch up high, whereas they will not be allowed into Australia to do the same there.
Gordon Brown may be authoritarian and unyielding with his own countrymen, but he is putty in the hands of foreign governments. He will allow America and China to have whatever they want.
How long must Britain be humiliated in the world by our timid government not defending our integrity and independence?
- Stan, Derby, UK, 08/04/2008 01:58
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There are two simple facts about the Olympics:
1) Most people abhor the behaviour of China in Tibet and are appalled at the celebrities who carried the torch. For all they say they don't condone it the fact is all the people of China see is them carrying the torch, they don't hear his justification or opinion. They think our sports stars and celebrities support their awful government policies.
2) Most people don't want the Olympics here. Vast expense for little benefit. It is an overblown love-in. Take it back to basics (as stated in the winning proposal which has been shown to be a farce), have the honour to boycott China, and it might start gaining popular support.
- Steve, Brighton, 07/04/2008 22:22
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Just another day under Labour...if you carry a Tibetan flag you are a threat to the peace.
- Orwell, London, 07/04/2008 22:04
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I was assaulted by a police officer on Whitehall whilst
breaking no law, committing no offence and photographing the shameful shambles that this attempt of appeasement of a cruel and genocidal regime became. I have approached Westminster Council for CCTV footage of the incident (as is my right under the freedom of information act) with the intention of making a formal complaint and possibly seeking legal advice. As a Londoner I believe I'm right in assuming that I had an invite to this shambles. I'd like to draw your attention to the fact that yesterdays torch relay was possibly a breach of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 banning protests within a half mile of the Palace of Westminster, sanctioned by the Met Police Commissioner and condoned by the same government that passed this draconian security measure. An old man in a tent no, a genocidal regime, welcome. Don't do as I do...
I am ashamed and disgusted to be British and all the relay runners should hang their heads in shame as I hang my head in disgust. Sir Steve Redgrave - You may well be the greatest athlete this country has ever produced, maintaining your physical peak for 5 Olympics and 20 years. 10 minutes around Wembley yesterday has made you contemptible in my eyes. Berlin '36 You'd have been there, right? Because it's not the politics, it's the sport, right? Harare or Khartoum for 2016? Shame on you all!
- Dave Feneron, London, Police state, 07/04/2008 20:31
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The excuse that the Olympics are not political does not wash. The Chinese organisers have wanted to use them since the start for political purposes and are now surprised that the Tibetans and all others who support democracy and self-determination and oppose dictatorships are emulating the Chinese.
In 1936, Hitler used the Olympics for his propaganda purposes. In 2008, the Chinese are doing the same. The uniforms have changed (the peaked cap in Berlin is replaced by a baseball cap today) but the so called "flame attendants" are no different from the type of "officials" my father met when he attended the 1936 Olympics as a spectator.
The oppression and the exterminations will increase once the so called games are over.
Shame on all of us for not boycotting this nonsense!
- J Wrang-Widen, London, 07/04/2008 19:38
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Dear Londoners,
There were also a great number of peaceful Chinese supporters yesterdays although some FreeTibet mobs did make troubles. Please don't instigate hatred between Chinese and Britons, and between two great nations. About Tibet issue, please don't be fooled by BBC coverage and go to talk to Chinese people.
Also, I remind you, British gentleman, don't forget the blood in your government's hands and don't forget 2012. Sure, it is only a game, isn't it?
- Han, London, SW9, 07/04/2008 19:35
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You will see loads of similar events over the next few years. Who paid for the tour de France?
- The Quiff, London UK, 07/04/2008 18:18
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To be fair to the police any one of those 37 arrests could have been a suicide bomber.
I still have never seen a police officer run 31 miles though.
- Jimbob, Kensington, 07/04/2008 15:36
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Who pays for the policing of this charade? Answer: the poor old London council tax-payer.
What about sending the Chinese Olympic Committee an invoice to reflect the cost of policing their pitiful parade? The cost must surely have been substantial and the money should be spent to benefit Londoners, not the Chinese. Who ever wanted the 'flaming torch'in London in the first place?
- Colin, London W14, 07/04/2008 15:17
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I took my two children to watch the relay. What a disappointment. In particular, the behaviour of the Chinese 'torch bearers' was appalling. They were a group of thugs employed to use physical force and should not be allowed to return to Britain.
- Stephanie Williams, London, 07/04/2008 13:38
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Everbody that supported yesterday's Olympic torch sham display has blood on its hands from the police,the so called celebrities and this useless and spineless clown government. How anyone can let China brutalise Tibet has to look in the mirror and see what a inept person you are. No wonder the government gave the Met police a 1% pay rise cause that's all your worth you puppets. The celebrities live in a mickey mouse world and I hope they have damaged their own image far deeper than they ever realised. This so called government does not represent Great Britain in the real world and all it does let the people down time and time again. Well done to the demonstrators and long live Tibet!
- Joe Sardena, Swanley Kent, 07/04/2008 13:00
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