The Olympic Flame in San Francisco

I cross him when leaving the metro station. On the stairs. A short eye to eye. Darth Vader and I.
I laugh. What else can you do when an adult man dressed as Darth Vader leaves buzzling San Francisco by taking public transport.

Afterwards I realised he's maybe one of these wanting to tell a message. They're at Union Square. Arty-looking youngsters with screaming signs. Shouting. Convincing. To free Tibet.

They were not many at that moment. But more joined them. And today I see in the news how they have been demonstrating in the streets. How they put signs on the Golden Gate Bridge. How they raise their voice at the Chinese embassay. How they got stopped by police enforcement.

Tomorrow the Olympic Flame will be taken through the streets of San Francisco.
A flame that has to represent the Chinese growth in politics and economics.
Surrounded by police and security agents. To stop the expected demonstrations...
Not against the Chinese growth.
But against the human conditions in China. And against what's happening in Tibet.

Someone said humanity also has to do with leaving the athletes their glory. Giving athletes the opportunity to be proud on what they have trained for. I suppose there is some truth in it.

But I wonder if there was one athlete amongst them who was training proudly to run a flame symbolizing a political and economical force.

I don't believe so.