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The
Daily Gyro April 2, 2008 Protest Mars the Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony at Ancient Olympia Last week’s pro-Tibetan protest during the Olympic Flame lighting ceremony apparently was the first time the time-honored ceremony had fallen victim to such disruption. This was a blip on the international news wires and quite a mild demonstration by comparison of what types of protests and disruptions have befallen the Olympics over the years. (Three legitimately credentialed French reporters ran up behind the Chinese representative in attendance and unveiled a black flag with the Olympic rings replaced with interlocking handcuffs.) This story may not have even made it into this column if it wasn’t for the fact that we were approached by a demonstrator this past weekend at the Greek-Independence Day parade in Baltimore handing out glossy postcards publicizing the Global Human Rights Torch Relay, scheduled to arrive in DC this weekend. (We’ll give them credit for transmitting their message in a medium to which Greek-American young adults are susceptible – the 4” X 6” double sided glossy flyer.) Everyone has a right to protest, and certainly there is no arguing that protests
on a world stage like the Olympic Games are an effective way of getting one’s
message across when you know billions of people are likely to be watching. But
protesting in ancient Olympia is a little amateurish and in many respects
inappropriate. Olympia stands for the ancient ideals of the Olympics, before
commercialization and bureaucratization ruined it. The International Olympic
Committee and others who may have had a hand in bringing the Olympics to China
this year have nothing to do with Greece or the Greek people. Greece obviously
has no say in who gets to host the Olympic Games (see 1996; 2000). As far as
protest sites go Olympia is not a Vegas casino in terms of security or glitz.
The torch lighting ceremony and the right to march first in the Opening
Ceremonies are the last of the VIP privileges that the Greeks get for starting
the games nearly 2800 years ago. Protesting at Olympia during a somewhat hokey
ritual (see, actress Maria
Nafpliotou
dressed as high priestess) against human rights violations taking place
half a world away is like protesting against global warming at Gobbler’s Knob,
Pennsylvania on Groundhog Day.
Other Servings of The Daily Gyro
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