Torch protest was "disgraceful", says China

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has criticized human rights demonstrators who disrupted the Greek torch lighting ceremony for the Beijing Olympics as being "disgraceful".

Just before the torch was lit on Monday inside the archaeological site that played host to the Olympics in ancient Greece, three demonstrators managed to break a tight police cordon.

One of them, carrying a black banner with five interlocked handcuffs in the pattern of the Olympic rings, approached Beijing Games chief Liu Qi during his speech in front of hundreds of officials but was quickly led away by police.

"The Olympic torch symbolizes humankind's noble ideals and beautiful aspirations, and anyone who disturbs or sabotages the Olympic torch relay is disgraceful and lacks support," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a news briefing on Tuesday.

"The one who should feel embarrassed is not China, but these elements of sabotage and chaos," Qin said.

Exiled Tibetans had pledged to demonstrate against a security crackdown in Tibet and parts of western China following a wave of anti-government protests that have highlighted discontent with Communist rule in those areas.

Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (known by its French acronym RSF) said three of its members had tried to stage the protest on Monday.

China had hoped the torch's travel around the world and throughout the country would be a symbol of national unity ahead of the Games, which open on August 8.

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