Cheerful Olympic mood dampened with political slogans

Nagano, Japan  - An event meant to bring the Olympic spirit to the site of the torch relay leading up to the Beijing games ended up disappointing the citizens of Nagano, Japan, as they were bombarded with political slogans.

The central Japanese city of Nagano usually wakes up slowly and quietly on Saturday mornings, but this day was different with several helicopters hovering over the city and right-wing propaganda blasting through speakers.

Unlike during the 1998 Winter Olympics hosted in Nagano, local citizens were nowhere to be seen in the city centre, where crowds of supporters and protestors gathered, chanting political slogans and waving Chinese and Tibetan national flags.

"We saw more smiles on people's faces and more Japanese flags 10 years ago," said Hitoshi Yamamura, 63, of Matsumoto city in Nagano prefecture, while he waited on the street for a runner to pass by. "They were supposed to cheer the runners and not come to promote their political agenda."

Although 80 torchbearers passed the flame through town, onlookers barely got a glimpse of the runners themselves due to heavy security with nearly 100 police and riot officers accompanying the torch.

A few Nagano residents who came to watch the torch pass expressed surprise when they saw a street-full of oversized red Chinese flags and "Free Tibet" banners.

At times, hostile voices yelled, "Go home" or "We are ashamed of your violent actions against Tibetan people."

The Nagano torch relay committee had tightened security and increased the number of police to some 3,000 as it expected violent political protests and disturbances during the relay.

But unlike in Paris, London and San Francisco, the Japanese leg of the relay ended successfully and peacefully, despite three arrests and minor scuffles between pro-China and pro-Tibet demonstrators.

One man tried to break the relay route, while another threw an egg at a torch runner.

News about the protests overseas had worried the locals and runners were warned of violent protestors before the relay. A neighbour of the Wakasato park, where the closing ceremony was held, said she was afraid to come out to see the relay.

"I have never seen this many Chinese flags before," said a city resident in her 50s, looking at the sea of red in the intersection.

"I expected to see happy and cheerful people," she added. "But it was good in a way that human rights problems in China has resurfaced. It was good for the Tibetan people now that the world knows of the situation they have faced."

The city's Buddhist Zenkoji temple refused to host the opening ceremony last week and held a memorial service for the victims of China's crackdown in Tibet out of sympathy and solidarity with the Tibetan Buddhists.

Although locals were disappointed that the city's landmark cancelled its time in the spotlight, they were relieved that the sacred temple was able to avoid any potential dangers from demonstrators. Instead the start of the rally was held in an open field.

A high-school student Daisuke Kunihara of Nagano came out to the street with his Chinese friend to see the torch, but they were both disappointed that the friendly sports event had turned into a political platform.

"I think it's wrong to promote their political agenda at the torch relay. Olympics and politics should be treated separately. The Olympic Games should be peaceful and friendly because that's what the sportsmanship is all about," Kunihara said.

Wang Yun Fei, 25, agreed. The Beijing resident had wrapped himself in a red flag, but said China and Tibet should hold dialogues for better communication. (dpa)

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