It’s too ridiculous! Should one be called thugs just because he can’t speak English (how could you know ‘they’ can’t)? How can you guarantee your torch bearers can speak Chinese when they come to China? If they couldn’t, are they thugs? Why should everyone recognize the somebody is a ‘lord’ in such a chaos? The reporting and some of the comments here give me an impression that the good part of the old fashioned English is dieing away – you are arrogant but without dignity, prejudiced but without politeness. Herewith, I’d like to remind you what Churchill has said: We are all bugs but I do believe that the one who bears the Olympic torch is glow-bug.

chen, beijing, china

utaaah, Salt Lake, utah

My friend, so western charges of human rights abuses, suppression, dictatorship, communist, Tibet issue, cultural repression, etc have failed??. Now you are adding price hikes to these issues. Do you know that CNN has added "pollution" to the issue (re CNN talk with Jackie Chan).
What else are you thinking of, my friend. And by the way what have all these go to do with the OLYMPIC GAMES?

Just Hope China can withstand such onslaught. Tremendous pressure with a few months to go!

Good Luck West, think of more, ok? Throw everything and China will still stand.

Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Because the police couldn't protect the torchbearer, don't you saw the girl in wheel chair. The disabled torchbearer was attcked and somebody wanted to rob the torch, at least the "flame attendants" could protect her and other torchbearers, since the police didn't want to do their best.

Juanjuan Wang, Beijing,

We need to know who these sinister "men in blue" were? What were there resonsibilities and above all did Gordon Brown sign off personally to have a thuggish squad roam the streets of London...Tiyananmin square style???

Crawford , london,

"The reports by foreign media are false in claiming that the Olympic torch was forced to be extinguished during its relay in Paris," said Jiang.

The torch relay in Paris has now safely completed as scheduled, she said.

This is from todays "People's Daily".

Les, Los Angeles, USA,

in unusual period, there must be something that the Chinese team cannot deal with and thus had some conflicts. As he said, the protectors dont speak english, so pls, offer more understanding rather than saying angry words.

Somebody has to sacrifice a little for the greater good.

James, Hong Kong,

The Chinese government use the Olympic as the propaganda machine to show how far its own government has progress in the world stage, but it can't hide the truth underneath the shallow surface. Because of the coming Olympic in China, million of people around the world will suffer this year.
The price of wheat and grain jumps as much as three times in recent months, a 50lb bag of wheat flour jumps from $12 to $28 and a bag of 50lb of rice jump from $18 to $40 in the last two months here in U.S., these because of a massive food shortage currently in China resulting from of its channeling of labors into building Olympic instead of concentrating on its basic necessity of agriculture and food productions. These price increases affect little to us, but for those people who earn two dollars a day around the world will result to them and their children only can afford to eat every other day.

utaaah, Salt Lake, utah

'Tibet belongs to China as Scottland belongs to UK,'

The difference being that the UK does not reply on military force, propaganda and general bully boy tactics to keep Scotland part of the UK.

The UK did not invade Scotland, destory most of their cultural heritage, put them through the hell that was the cultural revolution.

The Scots have their own parliament and if the majority wanted full independence they would probably get it

CAN YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE !!!!!

Mike, Nottingham, UK

I don't understand what this whole fuss is about. This may seem like an over-reaction from China (which, to be fair, is expected knowing the Chinese government); but then so have the western society in totally over-reacting in suggesting the Beijing olympics should be boycotted. I didn't see such riots when the Atlanta games were held - not so long after the Gulf War. I don't think you'd see such awful riots if America held the games this year. The men are presumably sent there to protect the flame because China anticipated trouble. And that's what they are doing - their job. And national pride may I add. Why isn't anyone saying Kudos to them, like they are to the British police who did a magnificent job in keeping the "peaceful protests" into even worse riots than they shamefully were on Sunday?

Angelina, London,

I think it's ironic that their is such a thing as this torch relay .Since it was introduced as a propoganda measure for Hitler's Oympic games.China - Wartime Germany linked by a torch as well as terrible Human rights as well as invading other countries.

john, shrewsbury, uk

Couldn't the problem be solved by adding new events to the Oympic menu. The high jump could become the Lhasa Leap, discus the Media Spin contest, The hurdles could be the Jailhose Marathon with shackled dissidents trying to set new records pacing their cells. Results to be announced in 2012.

Phil, Hong Kong,

Whse stupid idea was it to give the games to China in the first place?! I guess their human rights record must have swung it.

Derek, Southampton, UK

Did you heared Chinese people's voice? The Tibet belongs to china as Scottland belongs to　UK! why Scottland is not an independent Country?

Qinshihuang, beijing, China

I would hazard a guess that they were undercover officers of the people's armed police (Chinese paramilitaries) - minus the weapons. They are versed in martial arts - they look fairly arrogant and thuggish to me. Anyone man-handled by them should have pressed charges whilst they were still in the country!

Craig Morley, Reading,

Did you not heared Chinese people’s voice? Tibet belongs to China as Scottland belongs to UK, Corsica belongs to France!why Scottland and Corsica are not the independent Country?

Qinshihuang, beijing, China

Would British police/security guards be welcome in Beijing in August to protect venues and participants ? Having recently returned from China I think I know whereof I speak,
Political correctness [i.e. the almighty $ ]coerced the appearance of "heavies" to protect Chinese face in the midst of this debacle.

Declan Masterson, Nasty,

This moving the torch around the world thing is like some very strange video game. It´s beyond weird. Those men in blue should be arrested for being so ridiculous. On newsnight there was footage of our police grabbing and wrestling them!

matty, cardiff, wales

It is cowardice to not let the protesters have their say. Let China's democratic actions be an answer to their concerns. Unfortunately, China's only instinct is to suppress dissent and those seeking to silence protesters are as complicit as the host country. These are Genocide Olympics make no mistake and the people risking the crackdown are doing their countrymen a great service a personal risk.

Tom Porter, Singapore, Singapore

It was a complete disgrace that those hired thugs in the blue were allowed to provide a phalanx around the torch but then again what did we expect.
China's government frequently says that it does not interfere in the rules of other country but then does when it is in national interests.

Tim, London,

Imagine what Tibetans face on day-to-day basis if Lord Coe experienced a taste of real China in London. Those torch attendedants may be the Chinese secret service for all you know. China is a dangerous place covered in fake smiles. They just want money. They don't practice Buddhism.
I would think thrice before even visiting China.

stuart knight, cambridge, UK

Surprise, surprise! Trust Chinese government "officials" to behave like that... The French should use force to get rid of them! I love Lord Coe's comments!

Can't the rest of the world see that China is not ready to host an event such as the Olympics? It should not have been given to Beijing (where the Chinese government brutally slaughtered their own people) anyway.

Tiaan, Pretoria, South Africa

If they were assaulting members of the public, even if they are dissenting voicees, they should have been arrested. They have no rights to do in England what they do in China. It is a disgrace.

Rob, Singapore,

What a complete nonsense to have this flame dragged round the world. Waste of time and money and serves no purpose at all. All very silly.

Stuart Murray, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Lord Coe is learning that when you lie down with lice, you soon begin to itch.

Bob Evans, Anaheim, California