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Ancient Olympia: The flame for the conflict-ridden Beijing Olympics has been lit amid pro-Tibet protests at the ceremony held in Olympia on Monday, as fresh reports putting the Tibetan crisis death toll at 130 have surfaced.
The lighting ceremony took place an hour before scheduled time at the birthplace of the ancient Olympics in southern Greece and was attended by International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge.
An actress dressed as a high priestess used a convex mirror to direct the sun’s rays to light the flame, which will now begin a journey across the world before settling in Beijing in August.
Despite heavy security, the ceremony was not free from protest stemming from the Tibetan crisis, which has marred the build up to the Beijing Olympics.
Two pro-Tibet demonstrators carrying black flags ran onto the site while Beijing Communist Party Secretary Liu Qi, who also serves as the president of this year’s Olympics organising committee, was delivering a speech. Police were able to detain the two men.
Another Tibetan campaigner and a photographer were also detained outside the site.
The exiled Tibetan government on Monday announced a confirmed death toll of 130 from the clashes between Chinese authorities and protesters, a number far from the official Chinese figure of 19.
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