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Pro-Tibet protesters break into Olympic torch ceremony

The Associated Press

Published: March 24, 2008

ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece: Two pro-Tibet demonstrators dodged heavy security to ran into the stadium at Ancient Olympia during Monday's flame lighting ceremony for the Beijing games.

Police quickly detained the two men, who were carrying black flags with the Olympic rings on them. The incident occurred while Liu Qi, president of the Beijing 2008 organizing committee, was giving a speech.

More than 1,000 police were guarding the site after campaigners said they planned to disrupt the ceremony to draw attention to the bloody Chinese crackdown in Tibet.

Earlier Monday, a Tibetan activist briefly confronted International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge at his hotel in Ancient Olympia.

Deadly protests started March 10 in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa on the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule. The demonstrations turned violent four days later, touching off demonstrations among Tibetans in three neighboring provinces.

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Beijing's official death toll from the rioting is 22, but the Dalai Lama's government-in-exile has said 99 Tibetans have been killed.