I thought there would be a torch?

Today was supposed to be the big day of the Olympic Torch running through San Francisco. The sun even decided to come out for the event, along with throngs of protestors. Thinking it was a good way to spend my lunch hour, I headed the three blocks to the Ferry Building and elbowed my way to a great spot.

There I stood happily chatting with my fellow gawkers and enjoying what had turned into a lovely, warm day. Then word came in that there had been some issues at the starting location and that the torch would be traveling via boat. No problem. I just crossed the street and headed out onto the pier to wrangle a spot at the edge before the masses found out. No torch. Finally, it was revealed that the torch was currently in a van moving to an undisclosed location. Seriously? All this fuss over a little torch? Frustrated in having wasted my precious time, I headed back to the office, but not without catching some pictures of the crowd first.

It is truly unfortunate that the Olympic Commitee made the decision to hold these Olympics in Beijing. By choosing such a controversial location they have opened the door to clashes like we saw in France this week, and ruined a once uplifting experience for people the world over. Click here to learn more about the causes that showed up to protest today:

Free Tibet

Save Darfur