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Olympic chief 'saddened' by protests

BEIJING , China (CNN) -- The Olympic torch relay in San Francisco went well compared to the chaotic scenes in London and Paris earlier this week, the head of the International Olympic Committee said Thursday.

Speaking to reporters in Beijing, IOC President Jacques Rogge said he was nonetheless "saddened" by the protests in San Francisco.

"It was not ... the joyous party that we wished it to be," Rogge said.

Officials in San Francisco shortened and changed the torch's planned route Wednesday to bypass thousands of demonstrators, including those supporting and opposing China.

They also canceled a waterfront closing ceremony scheduled for Wednesday night.

The International Olympic Committee plans to discuss the torch relay on Thursday and Friday in meetings in China's capital.

Some IOC members have suggested an end to future global torch relays, citing the major anti-Chinese protests in London and Paris, but it's not clear what precisely the committee plans to discuss with regard to the torch.

"We were saddened by what we saw in London and Paris. We were sad for the athletes and torch bearers. We were sad for the children who watched their heroes and role models being booed," Rogge said. "Athletes in many countries are in disarray and we need to reassure them."

The flame's worldwide trip from Greece to Beijing has attracted thousands of protesters, many of whom want to focus world attention on China's human rights record, its actions in Tibet and its close relationship with Sudan.

"The Games are about generosity," Rogge said. "We have 120 days to achieve this."

The route of the Olympic torch relay in Hong Kong on May 2 will be cut short to avoid the possibility of violent protests, a source was quoted as saying in the South China Morning Post.

Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen, who left for Beijing yesterday with Police Commissioner Tang King-shing, is expected to meet the Beijing Olympics organizers on Thursday to discuss security requirements for the relay.

A government source said the route announced earlier would be adjusted for security reasons, the SCMP reported.

" Hong Kong is the first stop on Chinese soil for the relay so the government will hope to avoid the embarrassing scenes," the source said in the paper's report.

Likewise, Indonesian authorities announced Thursday that the torch relay route in the capital of Jakarta would be significantly shortened, according to reports from The Associated Press. The relay, scheduled for April 22, was originally planned to follow a 15-kilometer (10-mile) course, passing down a main street in Jakarta.