Olympic flame falters on chaotic Paris visit

By Thierry Leveque and Chrystel Boulet-Euchin

PARIS (Reuters) - Chinese officials curtailed a relay of the Olympic torch through Paris on Monday after thousands of pro-Tibet protesters repeatedly blocked its path and turned the event into a chaotic shambles.

The flame had to be extinguished at least twice and sheltered in a bus on several occasions to protect it from the mass of demonstrators denouncing China's crackdown on Tibet.

Apparently angered by a human rights banner hanging from Paris city hall, the Chinese organisers called off a reception for the torch cortege at the last minute and sped past hundreds of flag-waving protesters awaiting the flame's arrival.

"Free Tibet," the crowds chanted, with many bystanders charging the imposing security cordon to try to grab the flame in scenes reminiscent of the protests that hit the torch's tormented journey through London on Sunday.

"No flames in Tibet," said one banner strung from a bridge over the River Seine. "Boycott Chinese goods," said another banner, while hundreds of brightly coloured Tibetan flags fluttered in the cold winter sunlight.

The relay organisers finally threw in the towel outside the French national assembly when some parliamentarians showed their support for Tibet. The flame was put onto a bus and driven down to the final stage of the relay in southern Paris.

There, former swimming champion Christine Caron set alight a cauldron in front of the Charlety stadium and in a carefully stage-managed show, fireworks flashed up around the podium.

But the real fireworks were seen on the streets of Paris, with the build up to the August Beijing Olympics rapidly becoming a public relations disaster for the Chinese organisers.