A storm of protest is expected to greet the Olympic torch on Sunday as it begins the second week of its 130-day worldwide journey buffeted by robust criticism of China's human rights record.
The red-and-silver torch, arriving in London on Saturday from St Petersburg, continues its so-called "journey of harmony" but will meet a growing storm of controversy, even as it is accorded official approval with a Downing Street welcome by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
But with 2,000 police officers specially mobilized to keep protesters at bay, the torch has become less a symbol of global sporting harmony than alleged shameful political accommodation with China's totalitarian regime. Scotland Yard has said it is aware of plans to disrupt the torch procession.
Up to 80,000 spectators are expected to turn out to watch the torch make its 31-mile journey from west London to Greenwich but campaigners angry about China's human rights record, its crackdown on Tibet and its support for the Myanmar and Sudanese governments, have vowed to line the route with noisy activists.
On Saturday, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg became the first senior British politician to call on Brown to boycott the opening ceremony of the Games even though there has been little international consensus towards this despite French President Nicolas Sarkozy's affirmation last month that he was keeping "all options open" following the recent unrest in Tibet.
The Olympic torch's journey through London has been further hit by controversy over whether or not the Chinese ambassador will attend. The Chinese Embassy here has denied speculation that ripped through London's Tibetan and Chinese community on Friday night that ambassador Fu Ying would pull out diplomatically citing an important "official engagement".
The torch relay of 80 athletes, entertainers and dignitaries through 10 London boroughs has prompted some participants to admit to considerable soul-searching about the ethics of supporting a "repressive regime's big moment" on the world stage.
Leading comedian Francesca Martinez has already pulled out saying that taking part would legitimise the Chinese government's role in Tibet. But sports personalities including Tim Henman, Kevin Pietersen and former Olympic champions Sir Steve Redgrave and Dame Kelly Holmes will take part.
Scotland Yard said at least six organisations, including the Free Tibet movement, the Falun Gong spiritual group and the Burma campaign, were planning to send a total of up to 500 demonstrators to the planned relay route.
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