by Ed Kemp
LONDON, February 19: Global Olympic sponsors are bracing themselves for protests when the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay comes to London in April.
The Free Tibet Campaign is one body planning action to coincide with the Torch Relay in the UK capital. Matt Whitticase, a spokesman for the organisation, said it would have a ‘formidable visible presence’ on the streets. ‘It’s part of our wider purpose to shame the Games,’ he said.
The torch’s three presenting partners, Coca-Cola, Samsung and Lenovo, which together spend an estimated £100m sponsoring the Games, now fear the 6 April event in London will be marred by activists. The Olympic torch will visit cities in 19 countries en route to Beijing, where it is due to arrive on 8 August.
‘The sponsors would be best advised to remain above the furore,’ said Tom Silk, managing director of Velocity Sports & Entertainment. ‘They should focus on the positives they bring, such as inspiring youth to follow a healthy, active lifestyle.’
The Games were awarded to China in 2001 and many hoped the glare of the international spotlight would pressure it to implement social reforms and revise its foreign policy.
