Two more were arrested in Athens on Sunday after protesting at the Acropolis monument.Īctivists are planning more protests and a news conference on Tuesday when the flame will be officially handed over to Beijing Games organizers in Athens. 4-20 event but protests and calls for boycotts over the country's human rights record have marred the run-up.įour other activists were detained by police outside the stadium an hour before the ceremony and taken to the local station. The Chinese capital will become the first city to host both the Winter and Summer Games when it stages the Feb. "While the HOC respects individual rights to freedom of expression, it is disappointing that this traditional cultural event has been used by a few individuals for other purposes." "The lighting of the Olympic flame represents 3000 years of Greek history and a commitment to peace and dialog," the HOC said. The IOC, when asked for a comment, referred to the HOC statement. Greece's Olympic Committee (HOC), in charge of organizing the event, said it was disappointed the ceremony had been used for political purposes. The ceremony itself was not interrupted, as had been the case for the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, and the activists, who did not reach the actual stadium or temple, were quickly led away by police. The three protesters shouted for a boycott of the Games in Beijing, as invited officials, including Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, looked on.
They held up a Tibetan flag seconds after the torch was lit by an actress playing the role of high priestess at the Temple of Hera a few meters away. Two women and a man sneaked past a tight police cordon and entered the archaeological site of the ancient Greek stadium and temple where the Olympic flame is traditionally lit and which had been sealed off for days. Human rights activists unfurled a banner reading "No Genocide Games," waved a Tibetan flag and called for a boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics during the torch-lighting ceremony on Monday.