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Olympic torch fiasco: Lord Coe blasts 'horrible Chinese thugs' who barged their way through London SAM GREENHILL, GWYNETH REES and PETER ALLEN Lord Coe last night condemned the army of Chinese "thugs" who accompanied the Olympic torch relay through London. The head of London's 2012 Games described as "horrible" the burly henchmen who barged their way through the capital, shoving the public and even police out of the way. His trenchant remarks followed those of former Blue Peter presenter and torchbearer Konnie Huq, who revealed the Chinese minders barked orders at her and pushed her arm up to hold the flame higher. Sunday's scenes, which were repeated in France yesterday, brought accusations that Britain had imported Chinese police state tactics to control the supposedly showcase relay.
Lord Coe made his remarks during a conference phone call, which unknown to him, was being recorded by a Channel 4 reporter who had been put through accidentally. Referring to the Chinese security guards, who were in France yesterday with the torch on the next leg of its world tour, he said: "One thing in Paris is to get rid of those guys. They tried to push me out of the way three times. They are horrible. They did not speak English. They were thugs." Wearing blue tracksuits, the 14 minders surrounded the symbolic flame, pushing anyone who tried to get near, as it was relayed 31 miles across London.
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