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Umbrellas are in but crossbows, banners and nudity are out, while babies are frowned upon and lip-gloss will be limited.
Organisers of the Beijing Olympics released their “Spectators' House Rules” today together with the launch of a “Good Habit for a Good Games” campaign — the latest step in a bid to ensure that the event proceeds without anything that could embarrass its Chinese hosts.
Nervous in case visitors try to use the games to make political statements, the authorities are prohibiting all banners larger than 2m by 1m and said that these would be checked at the entrance. The same rules apply to flags, with a ban on those of non-participating members of the Olympics — believed to be aimed at any attempt by demonstrators to unfurl the “snow lion” flag of Tibet, which is banned in China.
The island of Taiwan — participating as Chinese Taipei and under a special Olympic flag — will also be off limits.
Those breaching the rules, which also ban gambling, sit-ins, demonstrations, drunkenness and streaking, would be dealt with according to the level of their transgressions.
Huang Keying, deputy director of the spectator services division at the Beijing Organising Committee, said: “Different cases will be handled by different departments following relevant rules or laws. We have specially trained staff who will communicate with spectators.”
Lip-gloss, fountain pens and sunscreen will be allowed but only in small quantities. Animals, other than guide dogs, are prohibited. Parents will be encouraged not to bring babies. And the “f-word”, commonly heard on the streets of Beijing, will be most definitely forbidden.
Umbrellas, at least those with short handles, will be allowed in a break from the rules that excluded them from the previous Olympics in Athens.
Ms Huang said: “In foreign countries people like to sunbathe, but in Beijing we prefer to avoid the sunlight. So we will allow people to bring collapsible umbrellas as long as they don’t put them up in the stands.”
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This barbarism from China is encouraged by America, the only other country in the world held together by force. Even the Soviets accepted secession as a human right eventually!
Andy Dyer, London, UK,
Beijing should be boycotted!! I can't believe anyone is going to compete and by doing so shutting their eyes and ears to the problems!
J J, Auckland, NZ
I suggest anyone with a birthday divisible by 2 (eg 2nd, 4th) wears RED (from the Tibet flag), anyone with a birthday divisible by 3 (eg 3, 6,) wears YELLOW (from the Tibet flag), and the rest wear BLUE from the Tibet flag
KB, Inverness,
We should all concentrate on the beauty of the Olympics and on praising all the wonderful athletes that will be competing. Leave politics out of this. The Chinese people are wonderful and are working very hard to make these games unforgettable.
Elena , Sarasota,
China, go!
Tony, Hunan, China
Eddy in LA, you do realise that most of that was spin on a slow news day? Most of what was said about Sharon Stone was posted on blogs and I have seen more colorful posts here. If you lived in China, you would have likely said "Sharon who?"
'Boycott' assumes she had movie out worth watching.
Mike, Hong Kong, China
A feeling of relief for those watching the games from prison and a really hard task for London to keep up to this standards for the next Holy-mpics. Enjoy.
stefan, milan, italy
tibet ' god is in west , a beautiful lie !
love my china!
steven, tianjin, china
I won't be watching either. I love how some get upset at the idea of a boycott but the minute anyone says anything the first reaction in China is to boycott. Like when Sharon Stone made her bonehead comments, instantly in Chinas it was "let's boycott Sharon Stone".
Eddy, los Angeles, usa
Tamm, Frankfurt,
Most Chinese in China are not versed in English. I am not so fluent too but let me try to explain since you have either not read about the riots or seen documentaries on it. It was a peaceful riot that resulted in innocent people both Tibetans and Chinese being killed. Got it.
Lim , Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Ross, BS, UK
You people think poorly of China, its police and security procedures. Yet you are speaking about violating the law. If you do that and are caught in the act you know what will happen to you (yes you already know so much). You can try it but don't ask your friends to follow you. OK?
Lim , Johor Bahru, Malaysia
It won't stop people actually getting Tibetan flags into the stadium - if I wanted to I would back it onto another flag and the remove it once inside.
Ross, BS, UK
While the fascist regime in Beijing supports the oppression of the people of Tibet, Xinjiang/Uyghuristan, Darfur, Zimbabwe and Burma, it is outrageous that any civilised person - athlete, politician or spectator - should want to have anything to do with these Olympic games. BOYCOTT BEIJING!
Tendai, Harare, Zimbabwe
Does this mean we can ban the flag of St Andrews when we hold the 2012 olympics on the basis that Scotland wants autonomy?
AK, Pig Hill,
Stop this kowtowing to Peking!
robert leQuesne, Melton Mowbray, England
Sonny, and who killed the innocent Tibetian in the riot?
Tamm, Frankfurt,
hey! American guys! u r just focusing on human rights and so-called "crackdown", do u really know the truth? Do u really know who are the victims in Tibet? Dalai Lama or the innocent Tibentan that killed in the riot? do u really know the opinion of Tibentan for this riot?
Sonny, Tianjin, China
jean in London....Don't you know that sports is more important than human rights violations and oppresion?"
Bruce Northwood, Silver Spring, USA
oh man, thank god!
now if they just stop people from clapping, smiling, wearing bright colors, looking others in the eye and generally having a good time...
tyler, seattle, united states
I wont be watching a minute of it while the Chinese communist party continue to opppress the People of TIBET and deny them their human rights...it is a disgrace that any of our athletes are going there!!!!!
Jean, London, ENGLAND