China ‘torch guardians’ warned
Australian organiser says Olympic attendants will be arrested if they touch protesters.
The Australian official’s remarks came as Pakistan welcomed the Olympic torch early on Wednesday.
Mohammed Yahya, the event co-ordinator, said there was “absolutely no chance of any trouble, any protest against it” but indicated “all the security arrangements are in place to ensure peace” during the relay.
Olympic flame guardians |
“Flame protection squad” formed in August 2007, tasked with protecting the flame 24 hours a day Seventy members picked from People’s Armed Police, usually responsible for riot control and domestic stability Training for squad included running 10km a day on mountain roads Called “thugs” by Sebastian Coe, chairman of the 2012 London Olympics organising committee Criticised for not knowing how to handle protests and acting as “robots or watchdogs” by David Douillet, a French Olympic official Blamed for holding up the relay’s progress in Paris through procrastination by Pierre Mure, a Paris police official |
Track-suited Chinese officials recruited from paramilitary forces have been accompanying the flame along the relay.