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The Olympic torch relay began with the lighting of the torch in Olympia, Greece, on March 24. During the ceremony, demonstrators from Reporters Without Borders managed to unfurl a small banner depicting the Olympic rings as handcuffs, while part of the torch run was slowed by demonstrators for a free Tibet, including one who was painted red and lay in the street in front of the runner.
Even before the crackdown in Tibet, there were numerous protests planned for the Olympic torch run by groups with causes as diverse as Darfur, the Falun Gong, journalistic freedom and human rights. Most of these are planned to be peaceful, but there could be scuffles between demonstrators and security elements along the way. While these protests might embarrass and infuriate Beijing, they might also affect corporate sponsors of the event.
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