Yu Sun wrote: "Disrupting the Olympic torch relay is not only contrary to the Olympic spirit, but endangers the personal safety of torchbearers and violates the rights of those who welcomed its arrival."

While I understand the power of national pride, the response from China and many Chinese to the protests against the country's policies is mind boggling. I agree that the real protesting should have occurred when the IOC was considering giving China the Olympic games. But that time has passed. There are legitimate moral, ethical and political reasons to denounce the Chinese government, both for its oppressive role in Tibet (and beyond), but more glaringly for its support of the Sudanese government (and the attendant arms shipments). China is supporting a brutal civil war in which rape has been used as a weapon. Is that not worth protesting against?

Secondly, Ms. Sun claims that protesting the Olympic torch "violates the rights of those who welcomed its arrival." How? What rights have been "violated"? What does this statement even mean? Does there exist a "right to welcome"? And, if it does exist, how does a protest infringe on it? I almost never use this word, but today it seems appropriate - Ms. Sun that claim is PREPOSTEROUS.

There may be legitimate claims against the protests (though Ms. sun has not offered them here), but claiming that rights have been violated is surely stretching the thin tendrils of truth.