China says it has designated three parks in outlying parts of Beijing
to be used for public protests during the Olympic Games next month.
China's
head of Olympic security, Liu Shaowu, made the announcement Wednesday
at a news conference. He said protesters may stage demonstrations if
they apply to the government for a permit and are approved.
He
did not answer questions about whether foreigners could protest in the
parks, or whether there would be restrictions on what people could
protest about.
The city of Athens, Greece, designated such
protest areas when it hosted the Olympic Games in 2004. The
International Olympic Committee bars demonstrations at Olympic venues.
The
international portion of the Olympic torch relay was marred in some
cities earlier this year by protests against China's rule in Tibet.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
