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S.F. Olympic Torch Battle

he San Francisco leg of the Olympic torch relay was a tinder box of violently clashing sentiments. On the one side was the city's big proud Chinese American population rejoicing in the long-awaited glory of their ancestral homeland hosting an Olympic Games. On the other side was a grim mob desperate for a chance to show outrage on a global stage over the recent violent crackdown in Tibet.

Chinese supporter Vivian Fan waves Chinese flags during a rally for China's Olympic torch near Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco, Wednesday, April 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

     The sparks flew long before the torch relay started, with shouting matches and even physical displays of defiance and bravado. They continued even after it became clear that the torch runners had been rerouted to bypass the big crowds in favor of a less vulnerable course, ending in a long bus drive to a muted farewell ceremony at San Francisco International Airport.

A Tibetan supporter, center, with glasses, clutching a Tibetan flag, runs the gauntlet between supporters of China prior to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Torch Relay, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Dino Vournas)

A Tibetan supporter, right, argues with a Chinese supporter at a rally for China's Olympic torch at the Ferry Plaza in San Francisco, Wednesday, April 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

A Chinese supporter waves a Chinese flag during a rally for China's Olympic torch near Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco, Wednesday, April 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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