The saga of the Chinese olympic torch continues, in fine style.

The San Francisco leg of the Olympic torch relay descended into farce last night after the authorities cut the route in half and hustled the torch away from waiting protesters and supporters of the Beijing games by driving it a mile inland.

At the opening ceremony preceding the afternoon’s relay, the first torchbearer took the flame from a lantern brought to the stage and held it aloft before quickly departing again, running behind the scenes and into a warehouse. It was unclear exactly what had happened to the torch, with even the news channel helicopters unable to find it.

After a 40-minute hiatus, during which rumour spread among the waiting crowd of thousands gathered along the waterfront route, the flame reappeared about a mile inland, away from the crowds. Authorities, apparently in a last-minute decision to avoid the protests that had plagued the torch on its parade through London and Paris, reduced the six-mile route to three miles. A closing ceremony for the torch rally was also suddenly relocated away from the waterfront area.

I have come to the conclusion that the Olympic committee awarded the games to the Chinese in the full knowledge that the Chinese government would attempt to stage-manage the torch run around the world, like they can at home, and during the process would be humiliated. While the olympics have increased oppression within China, rather than the opposite, every day draws yet more attention to their failings. The Chinese Gauleiter of Tibet has said of the torch’s progression in Tibet.

“During the torch relay in Tibet and in climbing Mount Everest, if anyone should attempt to disrupt or undermine the torch relay, then they will be dealt with severely according to the law,”

Way to go with those PR skills!