The Torch has left the building

Yes, in case you missed it, which was not hard to do… Some shots from the scene at the ballpark. And a soundbite from Aaron Peskin.

“Gavin Newsom runs San Francisco the way the premier of China runs his country – secrecy, lies, misinformation, lack of transparency and manipulating the populace,” Peskin said. “He misled supporters and opponents of the run. People brought their families and their children, and (mayoral officials) hatched a cynical plan to please the Bush State Department and the Chinese government because of the incredible influence of money. SFGate

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Update: The Mayor responds to criticism of his decision with these surreal statements:

“We felt it was in everyone’s best interest that we augment the route,” Newsom said. “I believe people were afforded the right to protest and support the torch. You saw that in the streets. They were not denied the ability to protest.” SF Gate

Mayor Gavin Newsom told The Associated Press that the well choreographed fake-out was prompted by the size and behaviour of the crowds amassing outside AT&T Park, site of the relay’s opening ceremony. There was “a disproportionate concentration of people in and around the start of the relay,” he said in a phone interview, while travelling in a caravan that accompanied the torch. The Canadian Press

The rest of my shots on Flickr.

3 Comments so far

  1. Olympic torch relay observations - On Assignment - Staff writers’ notes in the moment (pingback) on April 9th, 2008 @ 5:56 pm

    […] (at least to me), it wasn’t Twitter (if News.com has it right).SF Metroblogging’s “Torch has left the building” includes a particularly scathing comment by San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin about Mayor […]


  2. thomashawk on April 9th, 2008 @ 6:25 pm
  3. Olympic Torch Run in San Francisco, Protest Photos & Videos | Laughing Squid (pingback) on April 9th, 2008 @ 6:39 pm

    […] Venuture Beat – SFist (Twitter round-up) – San Francisco Metblogs – Thomas Hawk – Jason DeFillippo – Terry Chay – Andrew Mager – Rubin […]



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