Gay Bay Expecting Protests for Olympic Torch Run

Protests are nothing new in San Francisco and usually I'm critical because the protests usually involve the military or Republicans. This time I might actually enjoy a good old Gay Bay protest:

SAN FRANCISCO — Mayor Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that protesters have the right to voice their grievances against China when the Olympic torch makes its only North American stop, but that city officials have a responsibility to ensure a peaceful procession.

Activists who have criticized the city for restricting demonstration permits to certain areas have been demanding to know the route the torch will take here next month. The American Civil Liberties Union says protesters have a right to plan their rallies against the Chinese government's policies on Tibet and Darfur.

Speaking to the Sacramento Press Club on Tuesday, the mayor said city officials still were negotiating the eight-mile route with police and the International Olympic Committee. He said it would be made public before the April 9 relay.

The discussions already have resulted in certain stops being eliminated and the opening and closing ceremonies being shortened.

"It's a simple route, it'll be on the larger boulevards of our city, tend to be around the waterfront, but the details have yet to be worked out," he said. "It could change up to game day, so to speak."

San Francisco was selected to host the torch in part because of its large Asian-American population. When the Olympic symbol visited the city in 2002 and 1996, it passed through the city's Chinatown.

But Newsom said last week that the torch likely would skip Chinatown this time because it would be too difficult to get it through the neighborhood's narrow streets.

There's no way they'll try and run the torch through Chinatown if there's a threat of protests. I took this shot of the entrance to Chinatown in 2006 and you can see how narrow the streets are in the area.

I think the Chinese will regret ever bidding for the Olympics. Every protest group with a gripe about China is going to use this opportunity to embarass the Chinese government and things could get pretty ugly before it's over.